Skateboarding is finally legal at Cal State Long Beach.
University Police announced a new plan that will allow skateboarding in certain parts of campus after the Long Beach City Council decided last October that CSULB can set its own skateboarding regulations.
CSULB Vice President of Administration and Finance Mary Stephens said in August that in order for the municipal code to be changed the university had to make a detailed plan on how skateboards would be managed on campus.
Under the new policy skateboarders can ride on campus but must comply with a 5 miles per hour speed limit on campus. Skateboarding is not permitted in pedestrian-only zones, which includes areas near the quad, south campus and Brotman Hall.
The new policy and speed restriction also applies to coasting devices such as roller skates, rollerblades and scooters.
Coasting devices cannot be used on hills located on East and West Campus Drives. They are also forbidden in pedestrian-only zones, roadways, parking structures and parking lots.
Bicycles can only be used on designated sidewalks and pathways. They cannot be used in pedestrian-only zones.
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Vince Licata said next time he rides his skateboard around campus, he’ll breathe a sigh of relief.
“It takes a long time to get from the dorms to class and it’s just nice to be able to get to places faster, save time and not have to worry about getting a ticket,” he said.
Licata said the speed limit is a little slow, though.
“Five miles per hour. People already walk five miles per hour,” he said.
Chantele Janik, a senior biology major, said although she doesn’t ride a skateboard she thinks that the speed limit seems to counter the point of riding one in the first place.
“The whole reason of skateboarding is to get to places a lot faster and the 5-miles-per-hour rule, depending on how it’s going to be enforced, that just might not work.”
University Police were not available for an immediate comment.
Assistant City Editors Donn Gruta and Andrew Spencer contributed to this report.