Does Port Jeff Need Its Own Skate Park?

Bikers say they have a problem in Port Jefferson.

Not the motorcycle riders who have long battled to get their fair share of parking spots and fight against the stigma that comes along with the helmeted, leather jacket crowd. These riders don’t have engines on their bikes, they’re BMX bikers pushing along under human power and their brethren, the skaters.

The owners of about the community of cyclists and skaters who feel there’s no place for them in the village. Co-owner Rob Micheline said that he wants to see better treatment for BMX bikers who get hassled for just doing what they love: riding. He said that bikers have to take the train all the way to the Greenlawn’s skate park to enjoy riding for the day.

"I think it would be in the best interest of the village to build a park and give these kids somewhere nice to go," said Micheline, who is a former pro BMX biker. "We have basketball courts, handball courts, tennis courts. Like everything else, extreme sports are second nature and no one wants to participate in it. If they were smart, they would."

The only place nearby that has a formal skate park is Inline 1 Sports Center on Route 25A off Crystal Brook Hollow Road in Mount Sinai. They allow BMX bikers to come in seven days a week but it could get a little pricey. According to someone who answered the phone there, to get into the park it will cost $60 for a first time membership fee and $20 per entry afterward. For non-members the cost is $45 for the first time and $25 per entry afterwards. Initial fees for members and non-members are good until the end of the year.

According to the Long Island Railroad website, a ticket from Port Jefferson to Greenlawn is $2.75 and for skate park access it is either $10 per session for non-resident use or $80 for a non-resident seasonal pass.

According to skatecity.com, the Greenlawn park is around 9,000 square feet and Inline 1 Sports Center is about 14,000 square feet.

So what do you think: Are the current options good enough or does Port Jefferson need its own skate park? Where would you put it?