We reject subtle word-play attempting to distinguish one style of skatepark over another. Bottom line: public skateparks should possess an equitable mix of elements as diverse as skateboarding itself, including "street," transition, and more.

We advocate for freely-accessible public skateboard parks. These recreational facilities must equitably provide for the needs of a diverse community of skateboarders. Of late, there's been grand discussions on each end of a contrived and artificial spectrum, much of it centered around a false rivalry between "flowing" or transitional skatepark elements and urban or "street" elements. All of which unnecessarily blurs reality and only serves to slow those seeking to do what they've always done: plan for a facility that safely meets the diverse needs of the community.

We believe a quantitative analysis of all material options measuring total cost of ownership (TCO) and return on investment (ROI) favors concrete over modular skateparks.

Further, too many skaters, vulnerable to surface inconsistencies due to hard wheels as small as 50mm, have experienced first-hand the unnecessary hazard caused by the seam between the base of modular ramps and the pad it sits upon, specifically eliminating prefabricated concrete park elements from the list of superior materials.

Finally, modular ramps (concrete pre-fab not included) , in the words of Portland, Oregon's Noise Control Officer: "are essentially speakers," broadcasting the sound of skateboarding great distances, relative to concrete, which emits sounds quantified as "comparable to a conversation between two adults" at just a few meters (Van Orden, et al. 2001).

Mixing bicyclists and non-bicyclists within the same facility introduces safety and maintenance issues. Care must be taken throughout the design process if the park is intended to be mixed use. The largest concern is that skateparks—particularly if there is inadequate level of service in the area—are very popular and typically in excess of their intended capacity with only skateboarders. Adding bicycles to the environment acts to displace the less experienced skateboarders.

Maintenance can be an issue for skateparks featuring bullnose coping ("pool coping") as BMX pegs can chip out the lip and make it unusable by skaters. If bikes are going to be an intended user group, steel tube coping should be used.

There are sophisticated design considerations if bikes will be included. Bikes travel at higher speeds and can use the park in ways that skateboarders cannot. As a result, bikes can introduce "blind corners" to a park that functions as expected for skateboarders. An experienced skatepark designer should be comfortable designing a skatepark that is safe for mixed use.

There are social considerations as well. In most communities bikers and skaters get along just fine. Occasionally, however, the competition for space leads to frustration and resentment can flare between the groups. Bikers often feel that they are a legitimate park user and resent being held to a different standard than skaters. Skaters often feel that they have a stronger claim in the space for a variety of reasons. In the end, it will be up to the conflicted community to decide how to best resolve the issue.

Skaters for Public Skateparks encourages and supports mixed-use facilities provided the following conditions are met:

• The BMX community is involved or represented during the advocacy, fundraising, and design process.
• The skatepark is designed with bike usage as a maintenance and safety consideration.
• The hosting community has a reasonable level of service for skateboarders and that different user groups will not need to compete for space.

If you have specific concerns or comments regarding this position or the topic of bikes in skateparks and BMX access, please visit our forums or contact us.

No. Through quantitative analysis we've found that a compelling majority of the most famous and well-used skateparks in the world are more than adequately covered under standard municipal insurance policies. Further, Skaters for Public Skateparks is a non-profit consumer advocacy "staffed" by a small army of volunteer skateboard advocates. We are not an insurance sales office and the body politic has democratically made it clear they have no desire for us to move in that direction.