NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — Friday marked a celebratory day for those who have spent decades fighting a cruising ban in National City.

The last “Cruising Prohibited” sign was removed along Highland Avenue with a crowd of supporters gathering to witness firsthand the reversal of a 90s-era ban on a pastime they hold dear.

FOX 5 was present for the final dethroning of the policy and felt a wave of energy and excitement from the eager group.

“You know, I wanna cry because I’m so happy,” said a member of the United Lowrider Coalition. “Because we started this in January 2021 and our sole goal was to get this ordinance repealed. We kept on hitting obstacles and hitting obstacles, kept on thinking ‘it’s coming, it’s coming,’ but today it’s finally here.”

Officials say the ban was originally enacted in an attempt to address crime and traffic issues many years ago. The National City City Council made a long-awaited decision on April 4, 2023 to reverse the ban on cruising.

Now in present day — vindication.

“Today we can cruise and we know that there’s nothing holding us back,” said a supporter of the ban’s reversal. “There’s no ordinance in place, we’re not going to get pulled over for cruising up and down a couple of times, so it’s exciting for us today.”

After the sign’s removal Friday, people in lowriders cruised the streets in celebration with the ban no longer lingering in their rear view mirrors.