‘No cruising’ signs removed from downtown Modesto streets after city votes to repeal ban
Modesto celebrated Saturday morning as city staff, in collaboration with the Modesto Police Department and the Modesto Cruiser Council, removed the “no cruising” signs from downtown.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to repeal the 1990 cruising ban, ending it effective immediately.
“Today’s a huge day for Modesto,” Modesto Vice Mayor Chris Ricci said at the sign removal ceremony. “We are building a better future for our city by embracing our traditions, our culture and our diversity.”
The process to formally repeal the ban took around a year, Assistant Police Chief Ivan Valencia said. The removed signs may be donated to nonprofits or auctioned, but the department is still waiting for direction on what to do with them.
The ban came about after police reported shootings, assaults, substance abuse and other crimes, according to previous Bee reporting. They said as many as 5,000 cars clogged McHenry on some nights, many of them from other cities.
“We don’t want what happened in the late ’80s, late ’90s,” Valencia said. “I think we have the organization and the camaraderie and the community to make this a safe, enjoyable event for our families for now and for the future.”
Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen remembered a time during her junior year in high school when she went cruising. She and her friends had not been invited to the prom, she said, but they had come across the band that played at the dance.
“We were out in a yellow convertible Impala on McHenry,” she said. “They were cruising by us and hopped in our car. We sang, we had a blast.”
Zwahlen said with the ban lifted, cruisers should stay safe and have fun.
The Bee’s John Holland contributed to this story.
This story was originally published July 15, 2023 at 2:44 PM.
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