Council hears safety concerns and legal limits as staff weighs rules for e‑bikes, scooters and pocket bikes

Deputy mayor Pro Tem opened a work session discussion on March 17 about electric bicycles, motor‑assisted scooters and pocket/mini bikes after a resident warned of near‑misses involving an e‑bike near a school.

Chief Vauxhall detailed the differences among motor‑assisted scooters, three classes of e‑bikes and pocket/mini bikes, and reminded the council that state transportation law constrains what cities can forbid. He said e‑bikes with operational pedals (classes 1 and 2) are generally treated like regular bicycles and cannot easily be barred from sidewalks or roads where bicycles are permitted, while pocket bikes—small two‑wheel motorbikes—are illegal on public rights of way under state law and may only be used on private property.

“We had our traffic units monitor this for a couple of weeks and saw some behavior that was definitely concerning,” Chief Vauxhall said, describing riders on sidewalks near strollers and school drop‑offs and noting the difficulty of enforcing speed limits on unlocked or modified e‑bikes.

Several council members described local incidents. Resident Michelle Barron recounted a near‑collision in the Tribute neighborhood when an e‑bike nearly struck a toddler in a stroller. Council members raised repeated concerns about students riding high‑speed devices to school, gaps in school‑property enforcement, and how to deter unsafe behavior without overreaching state law.

City staff reviewed options taken by neighboring cities: age restrictions for scooters (commonly prohibiting operation by those under 18 except on bike paths or by licensed drivers), helmet requirements for minors, parental‑responsibility provisions, and targeted prohibitions for pocket bikes. Staff and the chief recommended an emphasis on education—outreach to schools and social media—before relying on enforcement and said they would draft ordinance language for motor‑assisted scooters and pocket/mini bikes for council review.

Chief Vauxhall cautioned that e‑bikes present a legal limit: “Based on my research, I have not found a city out there that has an e‑bike ordinance that forbids them from being on a sidewalk,” he said, urging the council to consider whether any restriction on e‑bikes would force identical restrictions on conventional bicycles.

Council members asked staff to return with proposed ordinance language and an education plan targeted at school drop‑off zones and trailheads. The discussion closed with staff saying they will prepare draft text for future consideration and coordinate an outreach campaign to students and parents prior to enforcement changes.