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f O Oo V�ALL�Y n Assemblymember Friedman, Chair Assembly Transportation Committee 1020 N Street Room 112 Sacramento, California 95814 RE: ACR 176 (L. Rivas): Cruising - SUPPORT Dear Assemblymember Friedman, On behalf of the San Fernando Valley Car and Truck Club Council, I am writing in support of ACR 176 to celebrate the rich history, and culture of cruising in California, and encourages local officials, law enforcement, and local car clubs to work collectively to foster a safe and welcoming car enthusiast environment. After World War II, cruising became a highly popular social activity among teenagers. Teenagers would drive on urban boulevards to show off their customized vehicles. To this day, these cruising events are often combined with local meetups of vintage custom cars and low riders. No matter what the vehicle, cruising remains a popular activity in major cities like Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, Stockton, Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, San Diego, and National City. This activity is so popular that cities have popular cruising streets within its limits. Some of the most notable are cruising streets are Mission Street in San Francisco, Broadway Boulevard in Sacramento, Lake Merritt in Oakland, Story and Kings Road in San Jose; Whittier Boulevard, Van Nuys Boulevard, Laurel Canyon Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard, Colorado Boulevard, and McHenry Avenue. In 1988, California passed a law to allow local governments to pass anti-cruising resolutions. However, car and auto clubs frequently participate in community events like 4th of July parades and have collaborated with local law enforcement and elected officials to host philanthropic events for their communities. In 2020, car clubs participated in COVID-19 vaccine drives,raised money for local causes,raised awareness about the census count, engaged in community activism. Cities are starting to recognize that by prohibiting the cruising of vintage, low-riders, and custom cars they are enabling discriminatory practices, including perpetuating racial biases. These laws wrongfully stereotype law- abiding car owners and conflate them with illegal street racers who are, and should be prosecuted when putting public lives in danger. Police have not enforced this outdated traffic regulation in recent years. It has proven that there is a need for a change in this ordinance. Sacramento, San Jose, and National City are cities that have recently lifted the cruising ban. It is time for locals to follow these cities and repeal this archaic traffic law. In the hopes of creating a new perspective of what cruising means to each community, ACR 176 recognizes and honors the history and culture of cruising by encouraging local officials, law enforcement, and local car clubs to