Common Council bans bicycles on sidewalks that abut buildings; committee debates e-bike and scooter rules

Director Collins told the committee the Common Council voted unanimously to prohibit bicycles on sidewalks that abut buildings following the committee’s prior recommendation. Collins said the city manager has asked the state to differentiate e-bikes from pedal bikes so local regulations could treat them differently in the future, and that the Oshkosh Police Department will run an educational campaign and pilot sidewalk marking ("walk your wheels" stencils) on Main Street and selected South Side locations in spring.

Committee members then engaged in an extended discussion about regulatory inconsistencies between bicycles, e-bikes and e-scooters. One member criticized how local practice and state law currently treat scooters differently — noting scooters may be required to operate in the roadway while bicycles can be allowed on sidewalks in certain shop-front areas — and called the discrepancy ‘‘silly’’ and a candidate for revision. Director Collins said the committee can place the issue on a future agenda for further consideration, but added practical enforcement complications: police officers may not distinguish e-bikes from pedal bikes without additional regulatory clarity.

No formal policy change was made at the committee level; the committee will monitor the Council’s ordinance implementation and consider a future agenda item to review e-bike and scooter rules.