Resident urges Lenoir City to tighten rules, signage and patrols after motorized vehicles use Greenway

Randall Brown, a Lenoir City resident, told the council on March 23 that he regularly uses sidewalks and the Rock Springs Trail and has observed an "increased amount of motorized vehicles" on walking trails, including gasoline-powered mini-bikes and golf carts.

"At one point, they kinda dodged at me," Brown said, describing an incident in which two young men on gas-powered mini-bikes rode near him; he later reported that deputies removed the riders. Brown told council members there are no signs prohibiting motorized vehicles on the trail and urged the city to consider a prohibition or clearer signage, and to increase enforcement at the McGee Boulevard and Rock Springs Road intersection where, he said, a pedestrian was killed in 2019.

In response, the police chief said ordinance language exists but that some provisions are not readily enforceable; the chief said e-bikes can be pedal-assist or battery-powered and that the city would look into signage that reads "no unauthorized motor vehicles." The chief also said officers would increase patrols on the Greenway and at the four-way stop as call load permits.

Why it matters: residents walking city trails and crossing major intersections raised safety concerns. Council members supported pursuing clearer signage and stepped-up patrols while noting enforcement and ordinance clarity may limit immediate action.

The council did not change ordinances at the meeting; staff were asked to pursue signage and to coordinate enforcement as appropriate.