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Mesquite council orders rewrite of proposed e-bike, e-scooter code after public safety debate
Summary
Council members asked the city attorney to revise a proposed ordinance regulating e-bikes and e-scooters after lengthy debate over helmet mandates, sidewalk use, rider age or permit thresholds and enforcement; staff will return with a revised draft for further review.
The Mesquite City Council directed the city attorney Feb. 24 to revise a draft ordinance regulating e-bikes, e-scooters and similar devices after a lengthy public and council debate over helmets, sidewalk access and which minors should be allowed in travel lanes.
Adam (staff) introduced the draft as an initial step, saying the item was intended to gather council and public feedback before formal ordinance introduction. “This is just an initial step,” he said, explaining that the council would need to follow standard ordinance procedures to adopt any code change.
Councilmembers and residents focused on safety specifics: whether minors should be allowed in travel lanes, whether the dividing line should be based on age or possession of a driver’s permit or license, mandatory helmet requirements, and whether motorized devices should be permitted on sidewalks. Councilwoman Fielding urged stronger protections for children: “I would like to see that any kid 16 can ride on the sidewalk… I just don't want to put our kids in jeopardy on any of our roadways,” she said. Other councilmembers suggested permitting non‑motorized pedal bicycles on sidewalks while requiring motorized devices to use the shoulder or bike lanes.
Multiple residents urged mandatory helmets for powered devices and consistent direction-of-travel rules on sidewalks. “If we allow people on the sidewalks, they have to be on the side following traffic flow,” a resident said, warning about riders traveling the wrong way. The police chief described an ongoing education program in schools that included assemblies, classroom visits and hundreds of distributed helmets, saying officers have offered incentives to encourage helmet use.
Following the discussion and public comment, Councilman Ennis moved to direct the city attorney to incorporate council and public input and prepare a revised draft for consideration at the next meeting; the motion passed. Adam said he would gather the input and present a new version that could include options councilmembers wanted—such as age/permit thresholds, helmet mandates, and sidewalk definitions—for further debate and possible ordinance introduction.
The council did not adopt an ordinance on Feb. 24; instead it directed staff to return with a rewritten draft reflecting the range of council and public concerns.
