Colleyville council adopts e‑bike rules, approves fence variance after heated corner‑yard dispute; several zoning items pass

The Colleyville City Council on May 13 adopted a new ordinance regulating electric bicycles and scooters, resolved a months‑long dispute over a corner property fence with a 5‑2 vote, and approved several zoning and special‑use items including two massage‑therapy permits and a rezoning to allow a 10‑lot single‑family subdivision.

The council approved the e‑bike and e‑scooter ordinance (Ordinance No. 0‑25‑2‑329) after a lengthy staff presentation and more than an hour of public comment that ranged from teen riders urging access to elderly and pedestrian speakers asking for tighter limits. Assistant City Manager Adrienne Lottery and Colleyville police staff led the presentation. Councilmembers debated age thresholds, helmet requirements and speed limits before voting 7‑0 to pass the measure with the revisions discussed at the meeting.

Under the ordinance passed, class 1 and 2 electric bicycles and electric scooters are allowed on public sidewalks, paved city trails and local streets. The council set age thresholds and safety rules: operators of class 1 and 2 devices must be at least 10 years old; class 3 electric bicycles are limited to riders 15 and older; the council also adopted a requirement that riders under 16 wear helmets. The council set maximum speeds for devices on city surfaces in the ordinances adopted at the meeting (sidewalks and local paved trails: 10 mph; Cotton Belt regional trail segment: 20 mph) and prohibited “pocket” mini‑motorbikes on public property. The council and staff emphasized education and warnings as the primary initial enforcement strategy; the ordinance also establishes a graduated penalty structure as presented during staff briefings and gives officers discretion to issue warnings and require safety training in lieu of immediate fines in many cases.

Council discussion and public comment on the e‑bike proposal were robust: several parents, cyclists, runners and students spoke. A 14‑year‑old student, Carter Dewey, described how an e‑bike provides transportation and…