Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Parks Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilors, residents raise safety concerns over motorized mini‑bikes in Lawrence parks and sidewalks
Summary
Councilors and residents described repeated incidents of children riding motorized mini‑bikes in Harrison Park and nearby sidewalks, saying police response has been discretionary and calling for safer alternatives and enforcement.
Councilor Wells told the Common Council of the City of Lawrence that he has received “a lot of complaints” about young people riding motorized motorcycles and mini‑bikes in Harrison Park and North Park, performing wheelies and blowing through stop signs.
Wells said he spoke with a police officer at the scene, who told him the rider was wearing a helmet and that the vehicle appeared to be “a 50 cc or under,” and that officers exercised discretion and did not take action. Wells said he had contacted Chief Bigsby and Director of Operations Officer Romeroll and received an email describing the department’s current stance.
Several residents gave public comment backing Wells’s account. Colleen Morgan, who lives on Patton Drive adjacent to a walking trail near Harrison Park, said the noise and speed are “so loud” and described an instance in which three riders “went on one side of the other… just so close to them” on the trail.
Daisy Ellick, of East Fiftieth Street, said she has seen small riders, sometimes two on a bike, riding on sidewalks at speeds she estimated “over 20 miles an hour,” and said the behavior creates safety risks when drivers must brake suddenly.
A resident at the meeting said one incident left a man with a broken arm and the next day the youth was riding again. Councilor Wells said officers told him the decision to act is at each officer’s discretion.
No ordinance change, referral, or formal council action was made during the meeting; the discussion remained a report of complaints and citizens’ concerns. Councilors did not vote on any enforcement measure nor direct staff to prepare an ordinance during the session.
The discussion underscores three clear points raised in the meeting: residents report repeated dangerous riding in park and sidewalk areas; police at the scene cited vehicle characteristics and officer discretion in not making an arrest; and residents are asking for some combination of better enforcement or a safer place for youth to ride.
Councilor Wells and multiple residents indicated the issue is ongoing; no timetable for follow‑up by city staff or the Common Council was announced at the meeting.
