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Council approves first reading of e-bike rules; speed and enforcement changes included
Summary
Mount Pleasant Council approved on first reading an amendment to local ordinances to address e-bike speeds and enforcement; the changes raise the sidewalk speed limit from 10 to 15 mph and clarify potential prosecution for operators under age 18.
Mount Pleasant Town Council approved on first reading an ordinance amending the town code governing electric bicycles and similar devices. The changes advanced by the council include raising the speed limit referenced for regulated sidewalk operation and clarifying enforcement options for younger operators.
Under the proposed amendment, the town would change the local sidewalk speed benchmark from 10 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour and add language to enable prosecution of operators under age 18 when applicable. Town staff explained the changes are intended to align with recent stakeholder input and to provide enforcement tools for incidents involving higher-powered vehicles that exceed the state definition of a low-speed e-bike.
Town staff and council members noted the main enforcement concern is not legally defined Class 1 e-bikes but rather higher-powered vehicles that function as mopeds. "The biggest problem is not true ebikes. True ebikes don't go over 20 miles an hour. They don't have over 750 watt engine. The biggest problem is these things that are not ebikes under state law. They're actually mopeds," a staff member said during the discussion. Several public commenters also described safety incidents involving teenagers on high-speed devices in parks and neighborhood streets.
The ordinance received a motion and second and passed first reading; further public outreach and education efforts were mentioned by council and staff as part of the next steps.
Why it matters: Council members said incidents of high-speed devices on sidewalks and in parks have raised safety concerns, particularly for elderly pedestrians and children. The measure is a regulatory and enforcement adjustment; it was passed on first reading and will return for final reading with possible additional adjustments.
Next steps: The ordinance will return for second reading. Council and staff signaled plans for broader enforcement and education work, including coordination with police and the prosecutor's office.
