Sunbury committee weighs tighter rules for e‑bikes and scooters after juvenile crashes

City staff and police presented a package of proposed changes to Sunbury’s e‑bike and micromobility rules at the June 3 Services Committee meeting, saying the goal is to improve safety, clarify enforcement and align local code with the Ohio Revised Code.

Sean, the staff presenter, told the committee the review was prompted by safety concerns and enforcement uncertainty and outlined an operational matrix that would keep traditional bicycles allowed on sidewalks and roadways, prohibit any e‑bike with the motor engaged from sidewalks, and bar scooters and low‑speed micromobility devices from sidewalks under the proposed revisions. He said the changes would update Sunbury Code section 373‑12 and add definitions for Segways and other powered devices.

The city’s school resource officers and Sergeant Holden described repeated juvenile use near schools and retail locations and said officers are seeing reckless operation and crashes. “This is not a bike. This is the dirt bike,” an officer said while showing a short video of a crash involving a 12‑year‑old; officers reported hospital treatment in that case and said they have charged a juvenile in an active case after a high‑speed incident.

Staff and police identified several enforcement challenges. Officers said many e‑bikes lack manufacturer labels that identify class and wattage, making it difficult to classify devices in the field; one officer said, “the manufacturers are supposed to be following those guidelines, but they’re not.” The city attorney said updated Ohio code language adds labeling and a speedometer requirement for class 3 e‑bikes, which would aid enforcement and could be enforced as a minor misdemeanor if incorporated locally.

Committee members pressed on age and helmet questions. Presenters said the current Ohio‑based language imposes a 16‑year minimum for class 3 e‑bikes and a speedometer requirement, while class 1 and class 2 e‑bikes do not carry age or helmet mandates under the revised code. Officers said citations to date have mostly been warnings or targeted stops rather than systematic ticketing, and that enforcement on private property (for example Kroger parking areas or HOA property) is limited.

Members debated whether scooters of differing top speeds should be treated differently and whether shared‑use paths should be treated like sidewalks; staff said those are policy choices requiring further research on enforceability and that he would return to draft language. The presenter asked the committee to review the operational matrix and provide feedback within two weeks so the city attorney can draft ordinance language for formal consideration.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the ordinance changes at the meeting; staff said some prohibitions already on the books (e‑bikes with motor engaged on sidewalks, off‑road electric dirt bikes treated as vehicles) are enforceable now and emphasized further drafting and research are forthcoming.