Waukee council advances personal-transportation-device rules after public safety debate

Waukee City Council on a second reading approved updates to local rules for bicycles and personal transportation devices, moving the ordinance one step closer to final adoption.

The ordinance renames chapter 76 as “personal transportation device regulations,” clarifies device definitions and aligns local rules with state classifications, including an eMoto definition tied to a 750-watt threshold and speed greater than 20 miles per hour. Chief McCloskey said devices capable of up to 39 mph would fall under motorized bicycle rules, while those over 39 mph would be treated as motorcycles. The changes also add explicit pedestrian-yield language and enforcement authority for officers.

Why it matters: Council and staff said the changes are intended to improve pedestrian safety while remaining consistent with state law. The council must balance where a device may lawfully operate, how to educate users, and how to enforce violations without shifting riders from sidewalks to higher-risk street conditions.

Public comment at the start of the meeting highlighted competing safety views. Alex Rice, executive director of the Street Collective, told the council the draft is “substantially improved” but asked two last clarifications: to allow a low-traffic, 25-mph neighborhood street as an option for 20‑mph e‑scooters (rather than requiring sidewalk use), and to clean up the ordinance’s use and definition of “eMoto” so the term does not conflate different high-speed devices. "We really appreciate all the changes that have been made," Rice said, and added the group wanted clearer options for when devices may use the roadway.

Retired doctor Rich Peters criticized a provision that would allow 20 mph on sidewalks, saying, “To think that you should allow anything going faster than 5 or 10 miles per hour on a sidewalk is crazy,” and urged stronger education and enforcement to protect pedestrians, including children and the visually impaired. Joan Ross said pedestrians recovering from surgery or using canes should not be expected to yield and urged family-based education for young riders.

Chief McCloskey defended the ordinance’s approach as a balance between sidewalk safety and street-risk mitigation. He described edits intended to avoid unintentionally restricting other power-driven mobility devices and explained the wattage-and-speed-based eMoto definition. On enforcement and reporting, McCloskey told residents that safety incidents should be reported to dispatch so an officer can be dispatched immediately; for non-emergency input, staff asked residents to email police@waukee.org.

Council members said education will be crucial and that the ordinance provides the framework to back education with enforcement. The council approved the second reading; staff said they will monitor officer reports and community feedback and review the ordinance again next year as it is implemented.

Next step: The ordinance has passed a second reading and will return for final consideration in a subsequent council meeting.