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Committee reviews draft e‑bike/e‑scooter rules to restrict riding and parking in downtown district
Summary
Council reviewed a draft ordinance defining a downtown district and restricting electric scooters and similar devices there (no double‑riding, parking rules, and device definitions); staff will refine enforceability and district boundaries and return the ordinance for council consideration.
City staff presented a draft ordinance intended to regulate electric personal mobility devices downtown, defining a ‘downtown district’ by street segments and proposing prohibitions on double riding and towing, restrictions on where devices may be parked, and a broader definition to capture newer mobility devices.
The staff member said the draft borrowed examples from other communities but added sections to address local downtown conditions: “This would actually institute that for what is described as a, quote, unquote, downtown district,” the staff member said, listing South Franklin, West Main and other corridors. Councilors raised enforceability concerns — how a speed limit for devices would be set or policed — and whether the downtown geography should be expanded by a block or two for safety. One councilor noted truck traffic and sight‑lines that make some downtown streets particularly hazardous for micromobility users.
Staff said the draft will be revised to clarify district boundaries, enforcement language and signage and will be circulated for additional review before return to the council for formal action.
