Batavia adopts e-mobility ordinance; council plans education and outreach

The Batavia City Council adopted Ordinance 2026-010 on March 16, 2026, amending Title 6 (Motor Vehicles and Traffic) to regulate a range of electric mobility devices. The ordinance passed on roll call (12 yes; 2 absent).

Council members praised the ordinance as balancing access and safety. “I really like this, this ordinance,” one member said, adding it threads the needle between permitting e-bikes and ensuring accountability for safe operation. Another councilor urged a heavy emphasis on public education: “Education, education, education,” the councilor said, calling for outreach at the farmers market and in schools.

Chief of Police (speaker 16) described collaboration with the Batavia Active Transportation Commission and statewide advocacy groups in drafting the ordinance and said the city will provide outreach materials, social-media messaging, school communications and simplified diagrams to explain permitted device uses and restrictions.

A resident asked whether e-bikes would be allowed on bike paths and said the ordinance text is long and could be hard for ordinary users to parse; councilors and staff said they would produce plain-language summaries and diagrams.

Why it matters: The ordinance clarifies local rules for increasingly common e-mobility devices and creates a framework for enforcement and fees at the police department’s discretion while promising public education to reduce confusion.

What’s next: City staff will create simplified materials (diagrams, cliff notes) and coordinate outreach with the Active Transportation Commission and local retailers before broad enforcement.