We would like to draw your attention to a problem in the City of Houston Ordinance Rules and Regulations, specifically Chapter 32 Parks and Recreation, Article XIII Buffalo Bayou Park, subsection f, which seems to make no common sense.

This ordinance prohibits in-line skating (sometimes referred to in slang as rollerblading) in Buffalo Bayou Park (BBP) along the trail system. However, inline skating is allowed on city streets and all other City of Houston trail systems which also feed into BBP. There is no restriction for bicyclist using the trails of BBP so we applaud the city for giving cyclist the option to remain safe and off city streets by using the trails of BBP. The alternative for cyclist, which you are forcing skaters to follow by prohibiting skating just in BBP, is to travel along the streets of Allen Parkway or Memorial Drive from the Sabine St. Bridge all the way to Shepard Dr. when traveling east and west. Should a skater wish to cross Buffalo Bayou when traveling north or south, this ordinance forces the skater to either travel in the street on Montrose/Studemont or Waugh Dr. instead of using the pedestrian bridge just east of Montrose.

Those of us in the Houston skater community, a continuously skating group since at least 1992, can assure you that the majority of skaters would rather make use of the trail system within BBP rather than using the city streets which this ordinance forces us to do. If one of the goals of the City of Houston is to maintain the safety and well-being of the public, it is our hope that you and the City Council will revisit this ordinance.

Thank you.

Signed,

Houston Skaters

Inline Swine www.inlineswine.org

Street Hawks

Urban Animals   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Urban-Animals/103122202530

Skate Trash    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Skate-TRASH/209727489048543