Carmel council adopts amended micro‑mobility ordinance after extensive debate
Loading...
Summary
After public comment and hours of council discussion, the Carmel Common Council approved an amended micro‑mobility ordinance that bans powerful eMoto devices from greenways, requires helmets for riders 15 and younger and keeps other device rules aligned with Indiana law. The vote was unanimous, 9–0.
The Carmel Common Council voted unanimously on Nov. 17 to adopt an amended micro‑mobility ordinance aimed at clarifying how electric bikes, scooters and higher‑powered “eMoto” devices may operate on city streets, sidewalks, greenways and multi‑use paths.
Supporters and opponents filled the public‑comment period. “Please remove Class 3 from the draft,” Judy Hagen told the council, arguing higher‑speed Class 3 e‑bikes pose hazards on shared trails. Dakota Crawford of Strong Towns Carmel said the ordinance strikes a balance and urged clearer public language and stronger education. Josh Friedman, owner of Pedego Electric Bikes in Carmel, told councilors he sells Class 3 models and urged enforcement and progressive ticketing rather than a ban: “I don’t think it’s reasonable to really just ban a Class 3 bike,” he said.
Councilor Michael Snyder, sponsor of the measure, framed the ordinance as safety‑driven and noted the ordinance adds a helmet requirement for riders 15 and younger. Snyder said the city had worked with legal counsel and stakeholders, and that the measure had been reviewed in committee and refined to focus on behavior and enforceability.
Sergei Gretchukin, the city’s corporation counsel, described how the ordinance was drafted to align with existing Indiana statutory classifications so local enforcement can rely on familiar operational categories and age thresholds. He told the council the ordinance equates some devices with motor‑driven cycles so compliance and registration questions can be resolved under state rules.
The ordinance explicitly prohibits powerful eMoto devices — such as off‑road electric dirt bikes or unlicensed electric minibikes — from greenways, multi‑use paths and sidewalks. It allows other micromobility devices to be used in city right‑of‑way if they meet operational and safety requirements in the ordinance and applicable parks rules. Council members discussed how parks board rules (which currently ban many scooters on the Monon Greenway) interact with city ordinance language; Director Michael Klitzing said parks rules would still govern park property and that the city and park board would work to reconcile signage and rules.
Councilors also debated whether to exclude commercially rentable scooters; a motion to remove scooters from some city multi‑use paths was introduced and later withdrawn after clarification that park rules already ban certain scooters on park greenways such as the Monon. Police representatives described enforcement tools — handheld radar, existing cameras and citations for reckless behavior — that would support the ordinance.
After an amendment reflecting the Land Use Committee’s negotiated language, the council moved to approve the ordinance as amended. The motion to amend and the motion to adopt both passed 9–0.
The ordinance sponsors emphasized that the policy is intended to change rider behavior through education and enforce rules where riders behave recklessly or exceed posted speed limits. Councilors said they intend to review how the ordinance performs and return with any necessary refinements after a season of implementation.
