Committee debates micromobility definitions, right-of-way permits and enforcement dates for new parking rules

Members of Carmel’s Land Use and Special Studies Committee spent the majority of their June 4 meeting reviewing a draft right-of-way and parking ordinance that adds micromobility definitions, sets short-term permit rules for parking or staging on multiuse paths and sidewalks, and identifies the Department of Engineering as the issuing authority for the permits.

Sergei, the ordinance drafter, said he added definitions for bicycles and micromobility and solicited technical input from a transportation expert, David Lil Jong. Sergei told the committee, “class 1 and class 2 and class 3 ebikes are considered bicycle under state law. So I already see that that language needs to be changed.” He said the draft emphasizes regulating maximum pedal-assisted speed (20 miles per hour) rather than relying on class labels for enforcement, because officers and the public may not be able to distinguish e-bike…