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Staff recommends drafting e-scooter and e-bike ordinance after safety reports
Summary
Council directed staff to begin drafting ordinance language after staff described high-powered scooters and safety concerns; members discussed modeling rules on a nearby community that restricts scooters on busy roads and limits sidewalk speed to 10 mph while emphasizing education.
Peosta staff reported rising concerns about high-powered e-scooters and e-bikes in residential and commercial corridors and recommended the council consider an ordinance that restricts their use on selected busy roads and sets sidewalk speed limits. Staff referenced Asbury’s ordinance as a model, which restricts scooters on certain roads and limits sidewalk speeds to about 10 miles per hour.
Council members emphasized the twin approach of regulation plus public education. Staff noted classification challenges under state law — items over 750 watts can be treated like motorcycles and therefore fall under different licensing requirements — and suggested the ordinance should be clear about device classes and enforcement expectations. Several council members asked staff to draft model language that would allow time for an education campaign and an implementation period.
Council also discussed safety-related attachments to any policy: lighting requirements, helmet guidance (for education), and whether to restrict use at night. A council member suggested consulting local health/medical experts for education materials; staff later noted UnityPoint’s medical director has produced material about e-bike injuries that could support a public-education component.
No ordinance was adopted at this meeting; staff agreed to prepare draft language for the council to review at an upcoming meeting.
