Advocating For SkateBoard Is Transport In Rye, N.Y.

Recently we reached out to a blog publisher that was following the longboarding issues the city council was addressing in Rye, N.Y.. We noted it in a previous post on this blog. Jay Sears of MyRye.com kindly replied back. We address a reply to him here with the hopes we begin to attract more attenion to this issue in and around the broader 75 mile radius of NYC. We'd like to see more participation of this dialog by all involved inside this radius.

Dear Jay,

Thank you for your reply and attention to this issue in Rye, N.Y. regarding your growing  longboard commuters and how your city council is treating the issue.  We have no members in Rye, N.Y. as of yet. Skateboard Is Transport for the moment is not taking on members. We are a tiny group of concerned citizen skateboard commuters setting about to advocate, study the issues, gain members later on and help set policy while partnering with government and other groups concerned with helping to add human powered vehicles (HPV) to the traffic grid.

We only have this blog so far. We just began last week! Our challenge is a large one. We are advocating on both ends of this issue so it would seem. Transportation Alternatives, www.transalt.org will not advocate in behalf of the noble skateboard as vehicle. Nor will they even acknowledge that it is a vehicle. Amazing but true.

The city government in NYC, we think, is so overwhelmed and the skateboard commuter numbers are not quite large enough for NYC to take note and set policy. Which by the way might end up being regressive policy since any way since there is no advocacy group of note that might advocate for progressive policy NYC could follow.

T.A.'s lack of clear vision was the principal reason we created S.I.T. We had thought T.A. would assist a growing HPV (human powered vehicle movement.) So we imagined that an advocacy organization same as this one would not need to be created. We saw a time in the not to distant future when NYC would begin to make skateboard transport policy and we hoped T.A.www.transalt.org would be there as a progressive force to advocate for the noble skateboard's safe incorporation onto the traffic grid.

Since we have been shown the door, so to speak, and proclaimed to not even be vehicles by T.A., we quickly began SkateBoard Is Transport recognizing that soon NYC will require a good skateboard as transport advocate that they can rely on to provide progressive guidance on skateboard commuting needs and regulations. The skateboard commuter numbers are enormous here in NYC. Of course for NYC to take note they need to be astronomically large, we see NYC reaching those numbers, soon.

So it's all very new. Right now this blog is all we have and we want to begin to attract attention to even the simple fact that once and for all, an honest to goodness "skateboard as transport only," advocacy group exists. Nationally there have been many groups to advocate for more skateboard parks but none advocating "exclusively" in behalf of skateboard transportation. In Portland, OR the local government is supporting skateboard as transport and we will begin to follow them closely on policy. Tom Miller is doing very good progressive, HPV policy work in our opinion.

The longboarder's and more intensely the skateboarder's themselves have much to face up to. They really want respect, as well as the liberty to do as they want whenever they want. Many take a regressive stand shunning skateboard as transport advocacy, preferring to have a head in the sand and claim  advocacy will only lead to attention and attention they claim, will force them to comply to traffic laws and they don't want that either. Traffic surfing may be a gas, but the days of traffic surfing are coming to a close as we see it.

There are simply to many people and it is no longer a scale-able viable reality to imagine skateboarders constantly swerving in and out of the traffic grid. How is it skateboarders imagine they and they alone, will be afforded this right is a curious reality. What if BMX bikes wanted the same right? Motorcycles? The fact is, most vehicles may be operated in challenging and titillating sporty ways that put others in harms way, that does not mean the traffic grid at all times is at the disposal of people with these intentions. The greater good is not served well by such regressive ideas.

There will need to be education on both sides. Funny as it is, this organization will be not appreciated by either side 100%. Of course, this organization is clearly one of the answers for skateboard as transport, evidenced by the middle ground position it is taking as well as it's dedication to a 100% safety policy for both the skateboard riders and their fellow commuters on the traffic grid no matter how they might be moving about, pedestrians included.

One way we see solutions to the sport issue, is by establishing zones for longboard sport same as we have parks for the smaller skateboard to perform tricks and challenging of vertical balance acts. Those interested in the execution of the longboard sport dynamic shall have a safe place to be and practice. These zones may be shared space areas. In other words off hours on clearly marked roads set aside for the participation and execution of longboard sport.  These are challenging concepts of road use and sharing. But we are all tax payers and we all have our needs and desires. Longboarding is quickly becoming a sport of massive interest.

Considering the country has a massive obesity issue and the fact that this activity is a "transport sport" activity (renders both sport lifestyle, followed by transport commuting skills) it would seem rather clear that progressive policy helping lessen obesity and helping move towards an increase in human powered vehicles are highly critical issues for the countries well being, as well as to that of local communities. Interest in skateboard as transport is a massive plus not a negative.  To lessen this interest or to ban it is regressive and damaging to the countries health at this time. This is the position this organization takes.

As skateboard commuting grows it obviously requires rules and regulations beyond that of a tribe or "community" as longboarders have been calling themselves. Same as the car needed traffic lights least the four way intersection would never have worked, same too does the skateboard need rules and policy least we have daily mayhem on the traffic grid at all times. Four way intersections were death zones in the early days of automobiles. The time has come to sort out and dispel prevailing regressive views and attitudes on both sides of this issue. SkateBoard Is Transport will seek to do just this and we hope to give encouragement to more movements like this.


The issues are big and they are not going away. Criminalization of the vehicle via complete bans are not the answer, especially when there are clear ways towards safe and healthy incorporation.

The issue is the same as drag racing cars. Cars are drag raced in the appropriate places and they get used on the traffic grid as well. These are not difficult issues to understand although since we are coming out of the golden days of longboarding where limited growth allowed for minor indiscretions at all times, longboarders have been accustomed to doing anything at all times without much note taken by anyone. The longboard populace is accustomed to this and slowly needs to be shown progressive ways towards longboard sport participation and longboard commuting. At the same time the main stream should begin to see the benefit of all HPV, human power vehicles, and allow for their safe integration as both transport and sport.

Regards,

cubi

Enrique Cubillo
SkateBoard is Transport
Your Advocate for SkateBoard As Transport

On Aug 13, 2011, at 9:14 AM, jaysears@yahoo.com wrote:

Sure
Do you have more information, members in Rye, or a letter to the editor?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: enrique cubillo <skateboardistransport@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:51:15
To: <publisher@MyRye.com>
Subject: fyi

This is a new organization. We would like to help shed some light on 
the Local RYE government on what longboarding could be.

I hope you will join in and support.

Best,

cubi




Enrique Cubillo
SkateBoard is Transport
Your Advocate for SkateBoard As Transport

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