Greendale residents and trustees press for more outreach after repeated e-bike, e-scooter incidents

Joan Sobchak, a Greendale resident who said she bikes and walks daily, urged the board to lower speed limits for e-scooters and e-bikes on sidewalks and trails and recommended a 10 mph cap on shared paths to reduce collisions and conflicts with pedestrians. "There's no way to know how a dog will react to a scooter zooming past," she said.

Trustee D'Amato, chair of the Public Health, Welfare and Safety committee, opened a broader discussion of the devices after the board heard multiple resident accounts of close calls and child injuries. A police representative told the board officers have seen illegal mini bikes and dirt bikes traveling at high speeds through village areas, and that juvenile citations have been issued in some cases but enforcement is challenging because riders often flee and devices can be difficult to classify by sight.

Residents and trustees proposed education-focused responses: pinning safety materials on the village website, distributing brochures at village events and markets, partnering with schools and the health department, and offering safety events. "We need to get to the parents," the police representative said, noting officers often speak with juveniles and contact parents when incidents occur.

Trustees weighed regulatory options but said local rules largely mirror neighboring communities and state law; one trustee suggested consulting the village attorney about whether parental liability or registration could be pursued. Resident Joe Russ suggested resurrecting a registration program for e-bikes and scooters to increase parental involvement.

The board asked staff to pursue an education campaign and flagged the new management analyst (communications) as a lead for coordinating outreach with police, schools and the health department. No new ordinance was adopted at the meeting; trustees said more discussion and possible legal review will follow.