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Resident urges clearer rules for e-bikes and e-scooters on Oswego paths
Summary
Two residents raised safety concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters, urging the board to align ordinance speed thresholds with local 25 mph residential streets and to clarify when privately maintained walking paths and park-district bike paths are off-limits to motorized devices; staff said the chief will address vehicle-type and enforcement questions in staff reports.
At the start of the meeting two residents urged the village to tighten language in a pending ordinance on e-bikes and e-scooters and to clarify enforcement.
Sam Figola, a Southbury resident and member of his homeowners association, told the board the draft ordinance references 30-mile-per-hour streets and asked the village to consider matching it to local 25-mph residential limits so the rule better reflects where people actually live and walk. Figola also asked the board to explicitly state whether privately maintained walking paths and park-district bike paths are treated the same as public bike paths or sidewalks, noting his community declarations prohibit motor vehicles on walkways. "Maybe I'd like to see you call that out a little bit differently," Figola said, asking the board to avoid creating enforcement confusion for parents and residents.
David Rood supported Figola's concerns, noting enforcement challenges and objecting to a phrasing in the packet that said "only 3 crashes" involving e-bikes since 2021. "I take question with the word only," Rood said, adding that any number of ebike crashes is too many.
Board members directed staff to have the police chief address whether mini bikes and gas-powered vehicles are covered by the proposed ordinance and to include the enforcement and vehicle-type clarifications in upcoming staff reports.
