Salinas City officials explain how lift of cruising ban will work

Salinas, Calif. (KION-TV) - It was a win for the cruising community on Tuesday as members of the Salinas City Council voted unanimously to lift the ban on cruising within city limits.

"It's a beautiful thing that this ban got lifted and allows us to be able to show off our cars," said Stella Castillo, a member of Oldies Car Club in Monterey County.

Castillo grew up in Salinas and remembers when the cruising ban never existed.

"Back in the day we did it as teenagers, we are grown adults now and we follow all the rules and regulations, it's going to be a good thing for us," Castillo said.

She never thought she would live to see the ban get lifted.

"It's been 30 years I don't think any of us expected this ban to be lifted," Castillo said.

During Tuesdays Salinas City Council meeting, all of the city council members voted to lift the ban.

"After quite a bit of discussion and some state legislation that's going forward that would lift the ban statewide on cruising anyway, staff recommended that we just lift the ban," said Salinas City Mayor Kimbley Craig.

Craig says there will be no added rules or regulations on top of the traditional traffic laws.

"It was evident with 100 plus people in our city council chambers last night that the people would like to see it lifted. And so certainly are supportive of cleaning up old policy. So, yeah, we're excited," Craig says.

Salinas City Manager Steven Carrigan says he fully trusts the cruising community.

"They're going to work with us we are going to work with them we are going to have a good time with it and be safe," Carrigan says.

The ban will be lifted 30 days after city officials agreed to repeal it which will be on June 15th.