By Noel Johnston

Noel Johnston lives in a condo on Ocean Front Walk (OFW) or commonly called the Boardwalk.   She belongs to the Venice Neighborhood Council Neighborhood Committee, is  a member of the Ocean Front Walk committee, and a volunteer for the Venice Pier Project.

Update read one of her reports to one of the committees and felt this was information for all to know since few walk on Ocean Front Walk daily.  Her report is reprinted here and hopefully, she will occasionally followup with what is happening at the Pier, bike path, and OFW.

I have a few comments and questions regarding motorized scooters on the Boardwalk and Bike Path.

A year ago, less than 5% of the traffic on the bike path in Venice was motorized. Very few wheeled vehicles were on the Boardwalk at all and most people walked their bikes.  Now at least 40% (perhaps more on weekends) of the traffic is motorized and there are many motors on the Boardwalk as well.

As you know, there are no motorized vehicles allowed on the Boardwalk or bike path.  Why then are the police allowing this?  I don’t want to go into the number of accidents that I have personally seen (just check out Nextdoor and you can see a long list of eyewitnesses to an accident or someone who has been in one) but truly everyone I know who spends any time at all on the path or walk has seen several.

Few few of those who scoot wear helmets.  Maybe one out of 20?  Very few obey the “one person to a vehicle” mandate.  I have seen a father with two children in front of him on a Bird (no helmets) and have seen four teen agers (no helmets) on another.

The bike path and Boardwalk are my specific areas of interest are the scooters all over the west side.They are hazardous for vehicles and for themselves.  I am not going to get into the “littering” issue — scooters left in the street, blocking doorways, blocking sidewalks, thrown in the sand, piled in heaps on curbs — because it is nowhere nearly as hazardous as the basic problem of scooter driving and riding.

Scooters must be regulated immediately before there is a serious accident and subsequent suit. Most of us are amazed that the police have been so tardy in addressing this issue and wonder what must be done to get attention and action. Will it really take an accident of dramatic proportions? If so, I am sure you will not have to wait long.

If you doubt any of this, you might consider having someone tape or film the Bike Path for an hour any Saturday morning and see what you get.  I can get you a volunteer cameraperson, if you like.

So that concludes my rant!  Hope all else is well with you and that the summer is treating you well.