Signage Going Up in Downtown Area
Some new disk-type signage “Walk Your Wheels” are being installed in sidewalks in the downtown area. The new signage clarifies where people skateboarding and people biking must walk and not ride on the sidewalk in a designated area downtown. The walk zone protects people walking in the more congested area that extends from Pearl in the west, Lincoln in the east, 13th in the south, and 8th Avenue in the north.
Previously, there was a boundary for people biking that differed from the boundaries for people skateboarding. The new zone makes it easier for people to know they’re in a walk zone Riding skateboards or bicycles on sidewalks inside the zone is a violation of Eugene Code 5.450(2), and violators are subject to a maximum $50 fine. Note: 5.450(2) is prohibition for people skateboarding and 5.400(1) is for people bicycling. It is illegal to ride a skateboard in the road anytime in Eugene except when crossing a street in a crosswalk or at a right angle. A skateboard by ORS definition is not a vehicle and therefore never allowed to be used in the roadway other than crossing at a right angle within the City of Eugene. Violators skating in the road would be subject to citations for being a pedestrian in the roadway or portions of the roadway restricted to vehicular traffic.
During their July 28 meeting, the Eugene City Council approved the new skateboard and bicycle downtown no-sidewalk riding zone that went into effect on Aug. 29, 2014. Since that time, police have been issuing warnings, and once warned, citations.
In the next several days, the disk signage will be installed on the sidewalks in the downtown area to alert people skateboarding and bicycling that they have entered the no-sidewalk-riding zone and must walk their bikes and carry their skateboards. Materials have also been produced to provide a map of the new zone and other helpful information about the new rules.
Previously, there was a boundary for people biking that differed from the boundaries for people skateboarding. The new zone makes it easier for people to know they’re in a walk zone Riding skateboards or bicycles on sidewalks inside the zone is a violation of Eugene Code 5.450(2), and violators are subject to a maximum $50 fine. Note: 5.450(2) is prohibition for people skateboarding and 5.400(1) is for people bicycling. It is illegal to ride a skateboard in the road anytime in Eugene except when crossing a street in a crosswalk or at a right angle. A skateboard by ORS definition is not a vehicle and therefore never allowed to be used in the roadway other than crossing at a right angle within the City of Eugene. Violators skating in the road would be subject to citations for being a pedestrian in the roadway or portions of the roadway restricted to vehicular traffic.
During their July 28 meeting, the Eugene City Council approved the new skateboard and bicycle downtown no-sidewalk riding zone that went into effect on Aug. 29, 2014. Since that time, police have been issuing warnings, and once warned, citations.
In the next several days, the disk signage will be installed on the sidewalks in the downtown area to alert people skateboarding and bicycling that they have entered the no-sidewalk-riding zone and must walk their bikes and carry their skateboards. Materials have also been produced to provide a map of the new zone and other helpful information about the new rules.
More details on the new laws can be found on the
project website at www.eugene-or.gov/bikeskatelaws
project website at www.eugene-or.gov/bikeskatelaws
Whether you're riding or walking, please support your GTFs. They care deeply about your education but have been backed into a corner by an administration who had already engaged in unethical practices to pit students against graduate teachers. It's unfortunate that the administration embarked on a $2 Billion fundraising campaign while sitting on a $30 Million surplus but told your graduate teachers that there was no money to increase their half-time pay to a fair wage. Equally perplexing is that interim president Coltrane had the time to appear on NPR to explain how businesses must give employees paid sick leave because everyone benefits - then allowed the lawyer who has been paid over $100k of your tuition dollars to tell the graduate teachers that it's a matter of principal to deny them the benefit that Coltrane jets around the country to endorse.
ReplyDeleteIf none of this makes sense, at least remember that your graduate teachers are deeply invested in your education, and sometimes that means walking away from classes to strike for what's right for everyone involved. I hope you look into it for yourselves and lend them whatever efforts and assistance you deem appropriate. And let the administration know you're doing so.