Puyallup City Council is considering a ban on people over the age of 12 riding a bike on a sidewalk, city-owned parking lot or alley in the city’s downtown in part due to “a recent increase in criminal activity by persons riding bicycles on the sidewalks located in the CBD-Core,” according to a whereas clause in the ordinance proposal by Councilmember Jim Kastama (PDF).

Though bill sponsors said they were concerned about pedestrian safety during an October 2 meeting (video), targeting people suspected of drug dealing seemed to be at least part of the desire for the proposed ban.

“My understanding was that our law enforcement officials are asking for this because we’ve got people riding around, dealing heroin,” said Councilmember Cynthia Jacobsen during the meeting. “That’s kind of a tough thing to say from the dais, but that was my understanding.”

Puyallup Police Chief Scott Engle said he does support a sidewalk biking ban, but for pedestrian safety.

But this proposal follows a dramatic Council action to use zoning laws to severely limit the locations of facilities that serve people experiencing homelessness in Puyallup. The ordinance effectively make it illegal to open a facility anywhere outside a small industrial area in the northeast corner of town, the News Tribune reported. Earlier this year, Councilmember Kastama also led a successful effort to get rid of public toilets because they were used by people experiencing homelessness.

Kastama’s sidewalk biking ban proposal lists “criminal activity” as one of the reasons, and during the meeting he described a rather specific demographic as the target of his ordinance.

“For some strange reason, there are a lot of adult men on BMX bikes but nevertheless they are wreaking somewhat havoc in the pedestrian areas,” he said. Councilmember Robin Farris questioned Kastama’s motivation behind the proposal during the meeting. (more…)