Committee refers e‑bike and e‑scooter safety and park restrictions to Safety Committee

The Building & Building Codes Committee on Oct. 21 referred e‑bike and e‑scooter rules to the City’s Safety Committee after members and residents described hazardous riding at Memorial Park and on neighborhood streets.

City Planner Ian Russell reviewed Ohio classifications for electric bicycles — Class 1 (pedal‑assist), Class 2 (motorized up to 20 mph) and Class 3 (up to 28 mph) — and said the city code currently allows Class 1 and 2 on shared‑use paths while restricting Class 3 to roadways. Russell noted state and local helmet and age limits already apply to some devices. Police Chief Keith Tarase said recent device diversity and new micromobility types (including faster e‑unicycles and small electric motorcycles) mean definitions, signage and enforcement language should be updated.

Resident Sarah Wojslaw described seeing riders weave through traffic on York Road and said: "If you say you can't be on the sidewalks, and they're going to be on the roads, if you say you can't be on the roads, then you're going to be on the sidewalks. So, what's the solution?" Chief Tarase and several committee members discussed options including banning motorized devices inside Memorial Park, installing signage, limiting classes allowed on specific paths, and using existing traffic and impoundment authority for repeat offenders.

Committee members agreed the item belongs with Safety for a legal and enforcement review and voted to move it to the Safety Committee (motion by Joanne Krejci; seconded by Linda Barath). Vote: Yeas — Barath, Krejci, Nickell; Nays — none.

Staff suggested the Safety Committee consider: whether to prohibit motorized devices from narrow park paths; whether to adopt specific definitions for scooters and new micromobility devices; and what enforcement tools (citations, impoundment, parental notification) would be appropriate.