Redmond weighs ban on throttle‑powered e‑motorbikes in Dry Canyon after wide public testimony

Redmond officials on April 14 took hours of public testimony and staff recommendations as they consider limiting motorized e‑vehicles in the Dry Canyon Natural Area and city parks. Staff summarized a flash survey and proposed three options: a full ban in parks/canyon, no change, or a narrower ban targeted at throttle‑only (non‑pedal) devices. Police and staff cautioned that class‑based distinctions are hard to enforce and urged language that officers could apply in the field.

Why it matters: Residents described safety hazards to walkers, children and seniors and documented habitat damage where throttle‑powered electric motorcycles and dirt bikes are ridden off paved paths; advocacy groups and people with mobility limitations warned a full ban on pedal‑assist e‑bikes would deny access to older adults and people with disabilities.

Staff and police perspective: Keith Lights said the city received 2,027 flash‑poll responses (about 1,068 favoring a ban). Chief Devon Lewis told council that differentiating e‑bike classes in the field is difficult and any restriction should be enforceable; staff noted existing code (park code 5.314) already prohibits vehicular use in parks except on designated roads and parking areas and exempts assisted mobility devices.

Public testimony: Many speakers, including Richard Lance, Tom Gilkey and Lance Wright, argued that throttle‑only electric motorcycles cause trail erosion, create new social trails and pose a safety risk to non‑motorized users, and urged an explicit ban on non‑pedal devices. The Redmond Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (co‑chair Bob Nash) recommended allowing pedal‑assist e‑bikes on paved paths with restrictions on unpaved trails, speed limits (10–15 mph), clear signage, enforcement and education to protect natural surfaces and ensure equitable access.

Council response and next steps: Councilors emphasized enforcement challenges and the need to protect people who rely on pedal‑assist devices. Legal counsel and staff said the current parks code already identifies motor vehicles as prohibited and that staff would draft clearer ordinance language explicitly calling out motorcycles/non‑pedal devices to reduce ambiguity and aid enforcement. Staff volunteered to draft language that would expressly ban motorcycles/non‑pedal devices in parks and bring it back for council consideration.

Quoted: "Anything that would be enforceable now would be something that's outside of code and would have to be attached back to a state law," Keith Lights said, summarizing enforcement constraints. Chief Devon Lewis said simple class distinctions are "pretty difficult for our officers to enforce." Bob Nash of BPAC urged a "balanced approach" that protects access for mobility‑challenged users while prohibiting throttle‑powered motorcycles.

Ending: Staff will return with clearer draft code language that calls out throttle‑only motorcycles and non‑pedal devices for parks and canyon areas; the council did not adopt a ban at the April 14 meeting.