Sounding Off:

A boardwalk safety committee was formed to study the oceanfront boardwalk and bike trail on the Balboa Peninsula.

One of the decisions made was that the four-wheel vehicles, known as surreys, should not be allowed on the boardwalk.

The reason that the surreys are being singled out is not clear. Some say they are too fast. Some say they are too slow. Some say they are too wide and yet they are 4 feet wide from pedal to pedal.

Two adults walking side by side allowing for 6 inches between the two people could use the same amount of space.

At the narrowest point the boardwalk is 12 feet wide. Each lane is 6 feet wide. Surreys can travel in opposite directions and pass with ease and safety.

At the widest point between Adam Street and Main Street the boardwalk is 20 feet wide, each lane being 10 feet wide.

One of the concerns the committee discussed was speeding bicyclists and skaters; a slower-moving surrey would have the effect of slowing down the speeders.

In all the years that the surreys, bicycles, roller skaters, runners and walkers have been using the multi-use path, there have been little or no reported accidents.

I have been in business for more than six years and have only one incident in which a surrey was involved. There were no injuries in that accident.

Newport Beach and Balboa Peninsula in particular is a family destination tourist area and as such has a terrific amount of traffic.

Bicycles and surreys offer a way for the tourist and visitors to move about the peninsula and enjoy their vacations. However, many families with small children too young to ride their own bicycles need and appreciate their surreys. We have a number of older residents who no longer feel safe on a two-wheel bike but enjoy getting around on a surrey. We also have a number of schools and other groups that use our equipment to take their disabled students out for a day at the beach.

We would like to keep the surreys in service. If anything is to change I would suggest that we bring back the police bicycle patrols to the boardwalk to enforce the rules. I realize the police do a great job keeping us safe but apparently there are few people that live on the boardwalk that feel the only way to be safe is to remove surreys that have been here for more years than most of us have lived here.

I would like to see a police presence that would enforce the unsafe operation laws covering walkers, skaters, bicycle riders, surrey and Segway operators.

Please help save the surreys.

DALE HEAD owns Easy Ride Bicycle Rental & Sales on the Balboa Peninsula. He lives in Huntington Beach.