Oshkosh panel backs code change to treat scooters like bicycles, recommends lights and yield rules

The Oshkosh Transportation Committee voted unanimously to recommend that city code be amended so scooters are regulated the same as bicycles, including allowing them on sidewalks except where a sidewalk abuts a building and requiring operators to yield to pedestrians.

Committee members said the change would make enforcement and rider expectations consistent across micromobility modes and would aid residents who rely on electric assist. Committee member Larson requested the change; another member moved that the committee "amend that piece of code or ordinance to include scooters in the exact same way as bicycles" and the motion passed 5–0.

Why it matters: the city’s bicycle and e-bike rules already require sidewalk riders to yield to pedestrians. City code (section 27-63) requires that "every person operating a bicycle on a sidewalk or walkway shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian." The committee recommended adding scooters to those same provisions to avoid conflicting rules for manual and powered devices.

Committee discussion focused on three enforcement and safety points. Members and staff said officers can have difficulty distinguishing whether a small, two-wheeled device is being propelled solely by the rider’s feet or by an electric motor; that uncertainty drove support for a consistent single rule for all scooters and bicycles. The committee also asked staff to clarify how mobility-assist devices are treated so that people using medical or mobility equipment are not inadvertently restricted.

The committee approved a companion amendment so that equipment requirements in section 27-64 (headlights, rear lights/reflectors and brakes for bicycles) apply equally to scooters, a change members said would reduce nighttime risk. One member suggested explicitly naming "e-scooter" in the code for clarity, while others preferred the single term "scooter" to capture both manual and electric devices and avoid enforcement confusion.

Next steps: the committee’s recommendation will go to the Oshkosh Common Council for consideration at its next regular meeting (the committee noted the next council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 27). Staff said they will consult the city attorney and finalize proposed ordinance language before the council packet is prepared.

What was not decided: committee members agreed they were not drafting final enforcement procedures at the meeting and asked staff to return with proposed wording and clarifications about mobility devices, right-of-way language, and any state-law interactions that may affect enforcement.