Goodland police present survey; commissioners ask staff to draft helmet, Main Street restrictions

Police Chief Earhart presented results from a city survey on electric-assisted mobility devices and recommended staged local rules after residents signaled safety concerns.

Earhart said 433 people responded to the city survey. According to the figures he cited, 52% of respondents believe the devices pose a risk, 63% favor stricter regulations, 79% favor education prior to operation, 71% support stricter enforcement and 75% favor a minimum age requirement for riders.

"We had 433 people respond... 52% said they pose a risk... 63% agreed stricter regulations need to be in place," Earhart told commissioners.

Commissioners and staff discussed possible first steps: require helmets (particularly for riders under a specified age, commissioners mentioned 12–14), require eye protection for higher-speed devices, consider visible flags or reflectors on devices and ban electronic dirt bikes from city streets. Several commissioners favored initially focusing on helmet and education requirements and allowing officers to issue warnings before citations.

For downtown safety, staff suggested restricting e-bikes, scooters and similar devices on Main Street during business hours (example: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.) because of angled parking and frequent backing maneuvers that increase collision risk. Earhart said the police department purchased two e-bikes (paid from non-tax funds) to improve outreach and enforcement.

The commission directed staff to draft ordinance language that could be implemented in stages — education, then equipment/flag standards, followed by enforcement — and to return with samples and legal language.

Next steps: Staff will draft proposed ordinance language (helmet requirement for under‑14, eye protection options, Main Street restrictions during business hours, and guidance on flags/reflectors) and return to the commission for review.