Carmel council approves broader multiuse-path rules, defines micromobility and raises penalties

The Carmel Common Council on Monday approved changes to city code that add definitions and new enforcement tools aimed at motorized devices and equipment blocking sidewalks and multiuse paths.

The ordinance (fifth reading of Ord. D-27-69-25) amends Chapter 6, Article 4, Section 6-63 to add a definition of “equipment,” incorporate class 1–3 electric bicycles into the code, introduce a placeholder definition for “micromobility,” and add a speed-based restriction for devices on sidewalks and multiuse paths. The council voted to approve the amended ordinance 9-0 after amending one line to remove the word “authorized” from a lawnmower exception.

The changes come after months of committee work and recent public complaints about electric dirt bikes and other motorized devices on the Monon and other paths. Councilor Snyder, chair of the Land Use and Special Studies Committee, said the committee amended the section comprehensively to reflect current devices and enforcement challenges and to create a framework that can be refined later. “We included class 1, class 2, and class 3 e-bicycles… but it limits maximum speed on sidewalks, multiuse paths, bicycle lanes, and roadways to 20 miles per hour,” Snyder said during the discussion.

Sergey Grechuk of the Office of Corporation Counsel summarized the amendments’ scope and procedure, and noted the ordinance grew from a narrow penalty change to a wider code update. “So it would exclude by definition, e motorcycles, but we just do dirt bikes as they were curled earlier, and any class 3 ebikes that are able to go up to 30 miles per hour or more,” he said, explaining the speed-based approach was intended to ease enforcement.

Drake Sterling, Carmel’s police chief, described enforcement steps already under way and urged residents to report incidents to the nonemergency number with location and direction of travel. “We’re trying to be really, really aggressive with the enforcement,” Sterling said. He told the council officers had received education with photos to help identify illegal devices and that the department had conducted at least one pursuit involving a motorized dirt bike.

The ordinance keeps a stepped fine structure aimed at repeat offenders: a $200 first violation, $250 second violation and $2,500 for a third violation, plus court costs. The code also treats obstructing equipment (for example, unattended construction lifts or abandoned materials left on a path) like prohibited motor vehicles and allows the city to collect infrastructure repair costs from violators.

Permits and implementation were a repeated focus. Under the amended approach, short-term permits for minor work or roadside activity would be limited to a maximum of three days with escalating fees for additional days; longer or more disruptive activity would require a separate right-of-way permit that carries additional insurance and review requirements. The committee moved permitting authority for these short-term permits from police to the engineering department to align with right-of-way permitting.

Council members sought clarity on the public-facing permit display rules. Snyder said permits must be “clearly displayed on the vehicle” and that enforcement would treat a missing permit as a violation: “If a police officer… does not see that permit, that is a violation. Like, period.” Council discussion also included that permit templates and public education would be developed during a post-enactment implementation period; the ordinance’s effective date was set for January 2026 to allow time to produce permit materials and run outreach.

The council and staff said this ordinance is a step in a continuing effort. Snyder and others indicated a separate, more detailed micromobility ordinance will follow to address devices more comprehensively and to coordinate with the city’s alternative transportation staff and police.

The council returned the broader right-of-way ordinance and related UDO (Unified Development Ordinance) changes to committee earlier in the meeting and acted on the amended Section 6-63 tonight. Enforcement, permit form, and any future adjustments were left to staff and committee follow-up.