Colleyville council directs staff to draft e-bike ordinance after safety discussion

Colleyville City Council directed staff on April 15 to prepare a draft ordinance for first reading and public comment that would regulate electric bicycles, electric scooters and pocket/mini motorbikes, after a lengthy work-session focused on safety and enforcement.

Traffic-advisory committee staff member Adrienne Lofree opened the discussion, saying, “there have been concerns from community members about e bikes and just general safety for citizens,” and reviewed device classifications and a suite of proposed restrictions and permissions. Council members debated age limits, speed caps for sidewalks and trails, helmet and equipment requirements, and enforcement tools including registration stickers and progressive penalties.

The draft framework discussed would treat class 1 and class 2 electric bicycles similarly to traditional bicycles in many respects, allow them on designated local streets, paved trails and sidewalks under specified speed limits, and prohibit pocket motorbikes/mini motorbikes from public property. Council members expressed particular…