Liberty Lake police propose unified 'micro‑mobility' rules, step-up education and enforcement after e-bike and scooter injuries

The Liberty Lake Police Department told the City Council on Oct. 7 that it will intensify education and enforcement related to electric bicycles, motorized scooters, electric motorcycles and golf carts, and asked the council to consider a single, citywide “micro-mobility” ordinance to clarify rules and enforcement.

Police Chief Simmons opened the discussion by citing recent, serious accidents in the region — including state reports of scooter and e‑bike deaths and a local incident this year that left a young woman with life‑changing injuries after falling from a golf cart. He described “micro‑mobility” as the category that includes pedal‑assist electric bicycles (Class 1 and 2), faster pedal‑assist bikes (Class 3), battery‑only electric motorcycles (machines without pedals and often with foot pegs), one‑wheel devices and motorized foot scooters.

Chief Simmons and other officers explained legal distinctions: Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes (assist up to 20 mph) are generally allowed where traditional bicycles are permitted; Class 3 bikes (assist up to 28 mph) have additional restrictions and a minimum rider age of 16. By contrast, electric motorcycles that are not pedal‑based are treated as motor vehicles: they must be registered and plated and the operator must have an appropriate driver’s license and a motorcycle endorsement to ride on public roads.

The department highlighted the city municipal code that currently addresses motorized foot scooters and the golf‑cart ordinance; staff said those separate rules create gaps and inconsistent enforcement (for example, the scooter code creates a civil infraction up to $250 that may be assessed against a parent, while the golf‑cart code currently channels juvenile incidents into referral processes rather than direct citations). Officers described safety problems they encounter: high speeds on sidewalks and shared paths, young riders without helmets, riders on devices that are too powerful for sidewalks and plazas, and theft or other criminal use of e‑bikes in other jurisdictions.

Corporal Powers, a former motor officer who frequently stops riders on high‑speed devices, told the council that some commercially available electric two‑wheel machines travel 40–70 mph and that juvenile riders are increasingly evasive and sometimes ride in places officers cannot safely follow. He described repeated encounters in which juveniles ride at speeds officers consider dangerous: “I stop a lot of these and… they’re doing 46 miles an hour,” he said during public remarks.

Council members and staff discussed steps that already are possible under current law — educating the public using police pamphlets and community events, citing or impounding electric motorcycles when the operator lacks the proper license or when the vehicle is unregistered, and enforcing existing prohibitions on scooters in city parks, trails and sidewalks. Chief Simmons proposed a short public campaign to educate parents and teens and then stepped-up enforcement for reckless and negligent operation. He asked the council to direct staff to draft a single micro‑mobility municipal ordinance to make enforcement and public guidance consistent.

Council member Kennedy suggested practical steps city staff could take quickly: use the existing golf‑cart registration program model to register and identify certain vehicles and work with school resource officers to hold safety education sessions in schools. Several council members supported public outreach and called for community education first.

Ending: The council did not adopt a new ordinance Oct. 7. Staff said they will draft a model micro‑mobility ordinance, coordinate public outreach and report back with proposed language and an implementation plan.