City of Sacramento logoThe Sacramento City Council this week voted unanimously to delete a section of City code that outlawed car cruising in certain areas.

The effort to make the change, spearheaded by Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, came after months of discussions with the Sacramento Lowrider Commission and other car enthusiasts and community organizations.

The ban on cruising was put in place in 1988 but had not been actively enforced for many years.

“This ordinance is a remnant of other days,” Valenzuela said.

According to the staff report, the City’s anti-cruising language was written too broadly to be equitably applied and was valid only in zones posted with signs.

In addition, the previous language did not give the Sacramento Police Department the tools they require to address dangerous “sideshows.” These car gatherings — featuring activities such as speeding, revving wheels to create tire marks and other reckless driving —  violate vehicle codes and threaten public safety.

In making the change to the code, City officials said they recognize sideshows are not related to cruising as practiced by the lowrider community and did not want to restrict the ability of law-abiding residents from using public roads and parking spaces.

Following the vote, Mayor Darrell Steinberg congratulated Valenzuela and the Sacramento Lowrider Commission for its work to update the ordinance.