A staff presenter outlined a repeal‑and‑recreate draft of Chapter 7, “Traffic and Vehicles, Article 7: Bicycles, motorbikes and similar vehicles,” that the presenter said reorganizes definitions, aligns local code with Wisconsin statutes and adds provisions for electric bicycles, scooters and neighborhood electric vehicles.
The presenter described the approach as a wholesale rewrite: “this is a repeal and recreate versus an amendment,” and said the draft pulls statutory definitions into the local code to create consistent traffic rules. The code would explicitly define bicycle classes under state law (class 1, 2 and 3 e‑bikes), distinguish motorbikes and electrically driven motorbikes that require registration and a driver’s license, and require bicycles and electric bicycles to be registered with the village.
On electric scooters the draft: permits operation on roads posted 30 mph or less unless a bike lane is present, prohibits operation on certain high‑volume corridors named in discussion (Oneida Street and Hombreen/Hombre in the transcript), bans short‑term commercial rental scooter services, and prohibits parking of scooters in roadways, sidewalks or bike lanes. The draft leaves scooter registration as an open question for staff to research under state law.
The draft also proposes a helmet provision modeled on an ordinance in Port Washington to give officers probable cause to stop riders under 16 for education; the presenter said Port Washington’s law is used primarily for education and that courts frequently waive penalties when families show subsequent compliance.
Committee members raised enforceability and education concerns, noted the difficulty of classifying commercially modified e‑bikes and asked whether scooter registration was practical. The presenter said the village could require bicycle/e‑bicycle registration now and would check statutory authority for scooters.
Motion and vote: A committee member moved to approve the ordinance draft as presented and another committee member seconded; the chair called for voice vote. “All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Opposed? Motion carried,” was the recorded outcome.
Ending: The committee approved forwarding the draft ordinance; staff will proceed with the next steps required for formal adoption and clarify registration authority and enforcement procedures for scooters as requested by the committee.