Fenton aldermen direct staff to draft rules for golf carts, UTVs and ebikes after safety, enforcement debate

The Fenton Board of Aldermen voted Oct. 2 to direct city staff to draft regulations that would allow and define the use of alternative vehicles—such as low-speed vehicles, utility task vehicles (UTVs), all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), and electric bicycles—on city streets, and to return with permit and enforcement proposals.

The move followed more than an hour of discussion in the Police & Municipal Courts committee about safety, enforcement and where motorized devices should be allowed. Supporters cited the prevalence of existing vehicles and the need to update city code; opponents warned that many off-road vehicles were not designed for paved streets, that loud exhaust and high top speeds could create public-safety and noise problems, and that officers might have difficulty distinguishing vehicle…