Sports
Now illegal in Albany: Keeping portable hoops on the street or … – Albany Democrat-Herald
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Two basketball hoops pointing toward Sagecrest Street on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
Albany residents who own portable basketball hoops, may have to find a place to practice their shots elsewhere.
Basketball hoops will no longer be allowed on sidewalks, streets and bike lanes, after a unanimous agreement to amend the city’s code in a Wednesday, Oct. 26 City Council meeting.
A basketball hoop on Sagecrest Street on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Basketball hoops will no longer be allowed on sidewalks, streets and bike lanes.
The change doesn’t come from any recent complaints, Communications & Engagement Officer Matt Harrington said. Instead, it’s the result of a series of complaints that have come in throughout the years.
Some go as far back as the ’80s, Councilor Marilyn Smith said in a phone interview.
Before Smith was on the council, she worked for the city. She recalls getting calls about the hoops blocking sidewalks and driveways.
“It’s definitely an ADA compliance issue,” she said, referring to American Disabilities Act, the federal law that says people with disabilities need accommodations so that they are not discriminated against.
“It’s something I don’t think some people think about,” Smith said.
Sometimes the portable hoops may pose an obstacle for people who are in a wheelchair, forcing them to use the street or someone’s lawn to get by, she said.
Smith remembers a call from one complainant who said “she tried to go around on the lawn side of one of them and tipped over.”
Even though the resident wasn’t hurt, Smith does believe the hoops present an ongoing safety issue.
She said she can imagine people who use other mobility devices, like canes and even strollers, having problems as well.
There have even been instances where the hoops get caught on garbage trucks, since they are in the street where people leave out their bins to be collected, she said.
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The portable hoops dot Smith’s own neighborhood, and she said she often has to dodge them on walks out with her dog.
Meanwhile, the buckets seem like they’re never used, Smith said.
“In all the years I’ve been walking here, I’ve seen one hoop in use, one time,” Smith said.
Now, all portable basketball hoops on sidewalks, will not be complying with the code.
So where can they go? Even though they can’t be in sidewalks or streets, portable basketball hoops can be placed on a user’s property if their driveway is of a suitable size.
If the hoop doesn’t fit in the driveway, the code says the hoop can be planted along a homeowner’s property if it is within a public right of way between a roadway and a sidewalk.
Before the change in code, Smith said the best the city could do in terms of enforcement was charge someone for obstructing a passageway.
The new change, however, doesn’t mean there is going to be a crackdown on the recreational activity in Albany.
The city’s approach is to first educate the public and work on solutions before ticketing people, Smith said. The first 30 days after council approval will be focused especially on educating the public.
She believes many hoops are abandoned and forgotten about as people’s children get older. And that many are not being used at all. The ones still in use will likely be moved to be compliant with the new law, she added.
Smith believes the new ordinance will make the city more safe and accessible.
“Sidewalks are meant to be used by pedestrians,” she said.
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A basketball hoop on Sagecrest Street on Wednesday, Oct. 26. Basketball hoops will no longer be allowed on sidewalks, streets and bike lanes.
Two basketball hoops pointing toward Sagecrest Street on Wednesday, Oct. 26.
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