In the interest of safety I agree that a skateboarder should not be rolling through 5-points or the Hwy-14 and 26 intersection, but there are already laws for things like that! But banning them from riding on *ALL* city streets including a residential street right in front of their house?? That sounds way over the top to me! In the interest of damage, I support the ban on riding on private property without being invited. And I heartily agree that this city needs a skatepark for its youth. I just question whether it really needs to be a $400,000 structure as Mr. Streich is proposing.

O boy, this sounds like a tough one. I, for one, am against banning skateboarding on all city streets. That seems pretty extreme. I have seen plenty of skateboarders on the streets, not causing any trouble, and yielding the right of way to vehicles. However, I see the concern with the downtown sidewalks and private property--I noticed that M&I Bank actually renovated the front of their building on Main Street. I have good reason to believe that skateboarders, rollerbladers, and bikers trespassing on the front steps and causing damage was a catalyst for the renovation. Is there a room for compromise with this ordinance? Perhaps banning skateboarding from downtown sidewalks and private properties--and omitting all city streets?

Lisa, Maybe because the city thinks like the schools. Using what they call their "0 tolerance policy", they will suspend children for hugging another student, engaging in standard horseplay with their friends, voicing an opinion that they don't like and too many others to mention. Children are supposed to be mindless robots these days and not behave like the children they are.
Maybe they want all the children in their homes where they aren't seen or heard. And yet, complain because their generation is over weight and blame video games. The children that want to ride their skates, scooters, skateboards have no where to go. So, they are allowed on the bike path? From what I have seen on TV, skateboarders need more than a flat surface to do what you do on a skateboard so that doesn't really provide them with what they need. Maybe instead of just making more senseless laws they could give them somewhere to do these things? Maybe then, they wouldn't be in the downtown area doing it. IMO, they are only down there because they have things to jump, railings, etc. Just a thought or two.

Why is it that everytime the kids have something to do the city wants to take it away? Why won't they build an outside skate park? It makes more sense than a waterpark!

Why does not the city build a skate park for these kids? Is this not a "quality of life" issue? Other cities have skate parks, but not Janesville. The kids of the city council must be swimmers and not skateboarders.