The Woodlands convenes schools, law enforcement and health providers to launch e‑vehicle safety campaign before school starts

Chair Brad Bailey called a special meeting of The Woodlands Township Board of Directors on Aug. 6 to rally community partners around an immediate public‑safety education push on electric micromobility devices as students return to school.

The board emphasized this session was not a vote to change the township’s longstanding prohibition on motorized vehicles on pathways but a chance to “work together to effectively communicate” safety expectations, Bailey said. Monique Sharp, The Woodlands Township president and CEO, said the goal was to determine whether a joint education campaign should be developed, what components it should include (short videos, social media reels, printed materials) and which partners would lead each element.

The meeting centered on safety evidence and rapid outreach: Chief James Campbell of the Montgomery County Hospital District told the group that EMS has seen injury patterns at higher speeds consistent with other cities’ data, including a notable share of head trauma and long‑bone fractures. “When you are a trauma activation, you would have to go to a level 2 trauma center or higher,” Campbell said, adding that his team reclassified certain 911 calls and can run a manual chart review to quantify local incidents if the group wants Richmond‑specific numbers. He urged helmet use and described how high speeds increase the risk of life‑threatening injuries.

Representatives from Conroe ISD and Tomball ISD said they would partner immediately on outreach. A district representative noted the fall return will involve more than 73,000 students district‑wide and offered channels such as in‑class videos, PTO meetings and campus presentations to reach families quickly. “We can absolutely partner with the township to do that,” a Conroe ISD official said.

Law enforcement officials explained enforcement limits. Capt. Ryan Drody of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office told the board deputies cannot enforce township rules on pathways but can enforce state and county laws once riders enter roadways; sheriff’s staff described criminal trespass warnings as a case‑by‑case tool a township representative could request. “All we can do is wait until they go into the roadway or into the crosswalks and enforce state or county laws,” Drody said.

Township counsel and the Texas Municipal League representative advised that, absent gross negligence, a recreational‑use insurance exception and TML guidance mean the township is likely covered for pathway incidents, provided it emphasizes education and signage. Brett, the township’s counsel, told the board that TML’s consistent recommendation is “education and signage, education and signage, education and signage.”

Partners offered concrete next steps. County maintenance and engineering staff described existing shoulder‑rehab work and a planned $70,000 task order for engineering design related to potential bike/shoulder lanes on corridors such as Lake Woodlands Drive; county staff said reserve funds could allow initiating design work in mid‑August. Precinct and county outreach teams pledged to place messaging at parks, festivals and community events and to provide multilingual materials where needed.

Public commenters and village association leaders repeatedly urged the board to keep the primary message clear — that motorized vehicles are not allowed on township pathways — while rolling out any new guidance or pilot programs. Bike‑advocacy groups asked the board to include suggested speed limits, enhanced education, and clearly marked alternatives for higher‑speed users.

No formal policy change or waiver was adopted at the meeting. The board directed township communications staff to take the lead producing short‑term materials and to coordinate with the school districts, law enforcement, EMS and county partners with the target of distributing initial safety messaging in the days before schools reopen. Monique Sharp said staff will follow up by email with the board and partners on roles, timeline and draft materials.

Formal procedural items at the meeting included adoption of the agenda at the start of the session and a motion to adjourn at the end; neither substantive ordinance nor policy amendment was voted on during the discussion of pathway safety.

Next steps: township staff will coordinate an initial safety video(s) and partner distribution plan; EMS offered to compile local incident data if requested; school districts, county agencies and law enforcement pledged communications support and community outreach channels.