The City Council on Tuesday delayed action on a proposal to allow skateboarding citywide.
Several councilmembers said they were concerned about possible accidents or traffic slowups with skateboarders in lanes on the some of the city's busiest streets and highways.
Council Vice Chair Jenny Hill, who sponsored the ordinance, said she was willing to defer. However, she asked that the Council hold a work session on the issue in January.
Under a current ordinance, skateboarders are not allowed but the ordinance is seldom enforced.
Police said there have only been three citations issued over the past two years.
Ms. Hill said the ordinance was passed earlier, mainly because of concern about aggressive skateboarders damaging public and private property.
Councilman Darrin Ledford said skateboards might be appropriate downtown, but he said he could envision a skateboarder on busy East Brainerd Road with traffic backed up and the skateboarder saying, "deal with it."
Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod said, "I would not want to see Payton (her granddaughter) skating down the middle of Brainerd Road."
Councilman Ken Smith said he did not like the idea of skateboarders being ticketed, saying, "With all that is going on," police should not be focusing attention on skateboarders. He said skateboarders, for sure, should be included in the list of those allowed to use crosswalks.
Vice Chair Hill said the current ordinance does not allow skateboarders in crosswalks, but does allow "toy coasters - whatever that is." She said it apparently would allow use of a big wheel to go across a crosswalk.