Battling Bicycles, Scooters and Other Electronic Devices That Are a Danger to Pedestrians at the Boardwalk
By Nick Antonicello
Yolanda Gonzalez, a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc.org), shared some proposed signage examples expected to be eventually erected to combat the plethora of vehicles illegally riding with pedestrians on the boardwalk versus the bicycle path.
Ironically, electric vehicles are also banned from the bike path and this writer as a member of the Oceanfront Walk Committee of the VNC proposed a separate path from the Venice Fishing Pier to the Santa Monica border be constructed for these e-bikes and alike and that the cost be subsidized by the approved e-bike and scooter companies.
Mark Ryavec, President of the Venice Stakeholders has also taken a leadership role in working with city officials to see if the proper signage can be installed as well as postings for those retailers who rent these vehicles that they do not use the boardwalk for motorized access.
Clark Brown, a retired attorney and also a member of the VNC has made outreach to these operators to inform their customers of where, and where not to navigate these popular beach vehicles.
While this has been a longstanding issue with locals regarding non-compliance and a lack of enforcement, the issue went viral when a four-year old girl was hit by a motorized electric vehicle several months ago.
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-one year resident of the neighborhood and member of the Oceanfront Walk Committee of the Venice Neighborhood Council. Have a tip or take all things Venice? Contact him via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com
