Kevin McBride knows there are 208 steps in the staircase adjacent to the sand dune at the city’s Sand Dune Park.
He also knows he can be fined up to $600 for jogging on them.
In August, the Manhattan Beach resident was cited for a misdemeanor and fined $433 — his fine was reduced in court — for jogging on one of several trails connecting the park’s various stairways.
“I live nine houses away from the park and I had no idea a ticket for this is actually $600,” said McBride, who has worked out at the park for the last three years. “I just got married two months ago. The last thing I need is to be paying this much for jogging. This amount of money is ridiculous and excessive.”
In 2002, the city passed an ordinance prohibiting running or jogging on the stairs and connecting trails.
“The running and congestion on the stairs was a safety concern and also the stairs were becoming a destination point for workouts,” said Manhattan Beach Director of Parks and Recreation Richard Gill about why the ordinance was adopted.
Park enforcement was increased after the controversial sand dune was closed last year due to neighbor complaints of excessive use and the accompanying noise. A series of meetings followed to determine whether the dune would be reopened and, if so, how traffic could be minimized.
“It came to light last year when we went through many meetings about the park that the stairs are also used for exercise,” Gill said. “The residents were saying the stairs are as much of a destination spot as the dune.”
Prior to the dune closing, park rangers and community service officers frequented the park once or twice a day, Gill said. After its reopening, city officials with the authority to give citations were assigned there at all times.
“We’ve always enforced it,” Gill said. “But because this has been such a hotspot, you just have more eyes now looking at the situation.”
Prior to his citation, McBride said he slowly jogged on the stairs and trails three of the five days a week he works out at the park. Although several signs prohibiting running and jogging are posted throughout the trails, he feels that residents should have been made more aware of the increased enforcement.
“There are definitely signs that say ‘No jogging,’” he admitted. “I knew I wasn’t supposed to. But I didn’t do anything differently than I’ve been doing since I’ve lived here. Almost every single time I’m here, I see people jogging. Realistically, you’d hope more people would understand they’re now enforcing it the way they are.”
McBride now tries to warn other joggers he sees on the park stairs about the potential consequences, but he is unsure about the distinction between jogging and walking fast. According to Gill, the city’s park ranger learned the difference from the city attorney and a court official.
Harbor City residents Emma Upshaw and Jimmy Lindsey have exercised at the park for the last three years. While both knew about the restriction, they were shocked to learn the cost of the citation.
“I’ve seen a lot of people jogging up and down the stairs,” Lindsey said. “I’ve never seen anyone cited for it.”
“I never thought about being cited for it,” Upshaw said. “I think it’s ridiculous what they’re charging for tickets.”
The citation has not deterred McBride from exercising at the park.
“I went back the very next day to work out,” he said. “But I made sure I had one foot on the ground at all times.” ER
