Charleston committee advances ordinance amendments adding ‘reckless operation’ and new device rules

The Traffic and Transportation Committee of Charleston City voted March 24 to send a package of revisions to city legal staff aimed at clarifying where ebikes, emotos and motorized scooters may operate and at giving police a local enforcement tool for reckless operation.

Katie Zimmerman, executive director of the nonprofit Charleston Moves, urged the committee to define emotos — higher‑wattage, faster devices that she said require licensing and registration — and to add a clear reckless‑operations standard so officers can spot and address dangerous behavior. "The most salient missing piece to the proposed ordinance is a definition for e‑motos," Zimmerman said, arguing those vehicles should be banned from sidewalks and shared paths.

City legal counsel (Miss Copelan) described the draft as a "repeal and replace" that adds definitions intended to make enforcement clearer, including an "assisted technology device" category that preserves access for motorized mobility devices used by people with disabilities. Copelan told the committee the draft would allow ebikes in the same locations as bicycles — on roads and on‑road bike facilities — but would bar ebikes from shared‑use and multi‑use paths under the current wording.

Police officials said the practical limits of enforcement informed the discussion. Deputy Chief Whis and enforcement staff explained that state law currently distinguishes devices by wattage and equipment (pedals, lights, mirrors), and that some devices that look like ebikes may classify as mopeds or motorcycles under state definitions. Whis said officers have so far focused on education and parental notification in juvenile stops but that local tools — including a unit definition of "reckless operation" tied to a municipal fine — could help in court and at the municipal level.

Council members debated multiple details: whether to add an "emoto" category, how to craft a workable definition of reckless operation, whether to allow motorized scooters on streets with speed limits below 35 mph, and whether to shorten the proposed 160‑day education period. Several members warned that too many carveouts would weaken enforceability.

Mayor moved — and Council member Greg seconded — that legal staff prepare amendments to add a reckless‑operation definition, insert an emoto definition, amend section 19‑91 to permit motorized scooters on roadways with speed limits under 35 mph, correct typographical errors (including a moped speed entry), and reduce the education period to 60 days. The committee approved the motion by voice vote and asked staff to return a revised draft to the committee on April 23, 2026, with the aim of forwarding it for City Council first reading that evening if procedurally possible.

The ordinance language discussed would: codify where ebikes may be used (aligned with bicycle locations on on‑road facilities and roads), prohibit ebikes from multi‑use/shared paths as currently drafted, allow assisted‑technology mobility devices on sidewalks and paths, and give officers limited discretion including 19‑124H (towing or storing an ebike stopped with a child under 17). The committee did not adopt an age limit for ebike operation, with legal staff and police noting state preemption questions and practical enforcement limits to conclusively determining a rider’s age in moving contacts.

The committee also heard public comment from other attendees, including a resident who warned that modified bikes can reach high speeds and posed particular concern for children. The next Traffic & Transportation Committee meeting is scheduled for April 23, when the revised ordinance language is expected to return for review.