Oshkosh council sends e-bike, motorized-bike sidewalk rules to Transportation Committee after safety debate

The Oshkosh Common Council on Aug. 26 directed staff to send consideration of rules governing e-bikes, motorbikes and other motorized two-wheel vehicles on sidewalks and in bike lanes to the council's Transportation Committee for review and a recommendation to the full council.

The move followed a public comment from Jacob Claymire, who told the council he bikes in the city and urged officials to consider state e-bike classifications when drafting local rules. “There are some like legal classifications of e bikes in the state of Wisconsin… class 1, 2, or 3,” Claymire said, adding that “for every complaint that you hear from a pedestrian where there's a biker on the sidewalk, I would almost read that as there's a biker that doesn't feel safe being on the road.”

Council members expressed shared concern about pedestrian safety and the difficulty of enforcing rules that depend on technical differences among e-bike models. Council Member Larson said he has seen “incredibly dangerous” close passes where storefronts open onto sidewalks and favored limiting motorized vehicles where sidewalks abut buildings. “Knowing that you're riding next to a building on a sidewalk is really easy to see,” Larson said.

Council Member Bulow and others urged a balanced approach that preserves access for people who depend on pedal-assist bikes while protecting pedestrians. Bulow said the issue is complex and recommended sending it to Transportation for a careful review. Spambauer noted complaints of riders “coming along at 30 miles per hour” and asked for data on incidents. Council Member Flom and others discussed existing local rules that already restrict electric scooters on sidewalks and suggested mirroring or adapting those rules for e-bikes where appropriate. City staff and legal counsel were asked to evaluate enforceability and whether definitions in state law require legislative action at the state level.

Council members agreed to send the matter to the Transportation Committee for study and to return with recommended ordinance language and enforcement options. The referral was made as direction to staff and committee; no formal ordinance was adopted at the Aug. 26 meeting.

The council discussion highlighted three recurring issues for the committee's review: the state e-bike class definitions and their local applicability; clear, observable criteria that police can enforce (for example, limiting motorized operation adjacent to building-front sidewalks); and public education so riders and pedestrians understand new rules. Council members asked staff to include existing municipal code references — notably the city's prohibition on electric scooters — and to consider whether state legislative changes should be requested.

The Transportation Committee will determine next steps and bring a recommendation back to the full council for any ordinance changes or enforcement plans.