Marquette creates seven-member task force to study e-bike and multi-use path conflicts

The Marquette City Commission voted unanimously on June 30 to form a temporary task force charged with evaluating issues arising from increased e-bike and micro-mobility use on the city's multi-use path network and recommending options to improve safety and user etiquette.

Staff said the parks and recreation advisory board and the traffic parking advisory committee both recommended forming the task force after noting a rise in e-bike, e-scooter and similar device use that has prompted safety and speed complaints. The proposed task force will include seven members: three designated members from the parks and recreation advisory board, three designated members from the traffic parking advisory committee, and one city commissioner designated by the mayor. The commission set a reporting deadline of Dec. 21, 2025.

Commissioners stressed the scope could include education, enforcement, and possible regulatory changes for paths and streets. Commissioner Gottlieb, who the mayor later named to represent the commission on the task force, said during the meeting: "The amount of traffic on the multi-use path has seemingly doubled in the last few years... This is something we need to do, and we need to do it quickly." Several commissioners and commenters urged the task force to consider children, mobility-impaired users, on-street e-bike use and connections to the city’s active transportation planning work.

The motion to establish the task force was made by Commissioner Gottlieb and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Schlegel; it passed 7-0. Staff said city liaisons and the police department will assist the group with legal, safety and outreach tasks.