Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
North Royalton panel discusses helmet rule for under-17s, park restrictions and education for e-bikes
Summary
Council member Mary Gorjanc presented draft language to add e-bikes to city code, propose a helmet requirement for riders under 17 effective Jan. 1, 2027, and discussed an education period and signage to restrict motorized e-bike use on Memorial Park paths.
Council member Mary Gorjanc told the Safety Committee on Feb. 17 that draft legislation would explicitly include e-bikes in city code sections that currently refer to regular bikes and would add a helmet requirement for riders under 17.
Gorjanc said the committee has discussed an education period and making the ordinance effective Jan. 1, 2027. She outlined enforcement questions tied to state rules that bar operating an e-bike motor on sidewalks: "There is no law stating that riders must wear helmets in the State of Ohio whether on regular bikes or e-bikes. That would be one item that they are looking to include in our legislation for riders under the age of 17," Gorjanc said. She added that the city would align code language with the Ohio Revised Code that prohibits riding an e-bike with the motor running on sidewalks.
Committee members raised practical and safety concerns. Vice Chair Gary Petrusky worried about younger children being forced into streets if motorized sidewalk riding is banned; Mary Gorjanc and Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz discussed using signage to prohibit e-bikes on Memorial Park paths during events and peak use. "It is busy in the summer with the tennis courts, pickleball, the splash pad and playground and there are a lot of people here," the mayor said when urging careful wording for signage.
The committee also discussed whether School Resource Officers could help administer an education component about bike and e-bike safety, though Chief Keith Tarase noted that school approval would be needed to add material to curricula. The draft legislative framework discussed penalties: Gorjanc said a first offense could be a minor misdemeanor, and the committee noted that distinguishing e-bike classes by sight can be difficult because class labels are required on the equipment.
Council members said they will continue to develop the draft ordinance and return with more detailed language. No vote on the ordinance occurred at the committee meeting.
