Police chief presents e-bike, e-scooter ordinance; council moves ordinance to first reading

Police Chief Tom Mission told the Borough Council that the proposed ordinance groups electric bicycles into three classes, clarifies when state motor-vehicle rules apply, and gives the borough tools to curb dangerous sidewalk and park riding. "E bikes as they're called, are split into 3 classes," Chief Mission said, explaining differences in speed, throttle capability and licensing requirements for class 1, 2 and 3 devices.

The chief outlined local prohibitions included in Ordinance 42: no riding on sidewalks in the Central Business District, no e-bike operation in borough parks, and bans on unsafe behaviors such as hitching onto moving vehicles or carrying passengers where equipment is not designed for it. The ordinance would also authorize education-first enforcement and tiered penalties (first-offense fines up to $100 for adults, escalation to $250 and then $500 for repeat adult offenders, with impoundment possible for 7–180 days in repeated juvenile or adult cases).

Chief Mission cited local enforcement data he said was pulled from department records: "Since January 2025, we had 59 total incidents... 21 complaints, 3 crashes (two required ambulance response), and 27 stops for education." He said the department's priority is to educate riders and families through SROs and targeted outreach before relying on fines or impoundment.

Council members asked for clarity on where the ordinance would apply and how the borough would communicate requirements. Council President Ehrlich said the rules are intended to "encourage greater use of bicycles and scooters for transportation" while improving safety and reducing car congestion. Members asked police to include charging-safety and battery-fire prevention in outreach; the chief said the fire department has done presentations on battery risks and that he would coordinate joint messaging and training.

The council voted to introduce Ordinance 42—"Ordinance of the Borough of Madison amending and supplementing chapter 185 of the borough code entitled vehicles and traffic by adding article 13, entitled bicycles and scooters"—and set the public hearing for Nov. 10, 2025. The ordinance was moved and passed on a roll-call vote for first reading.

The ordinance presentation and the council's vote follow requests from residents and Council members for consistent local rules that complement but do not conflict with state law. Council members emphasized education, school outreach and cross-jurisdictional coordination so riders who cross municipal borders encounter consistent rules.