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Council leans toward allowing Class 1 and 2 e-bikes on trails and sidewalks; staff to draft ordinance
Summary
After a lengthy discussion of safety, enforcement and cross-jurisdiction consistency, Highland City Council signaled tentative support for allowing Class 1 and 2 e-bikes on trails and sidewalks and asked staff to draft an ordinance aligned with state age rules.
Council members told staff to prepare ordinance language that would generally allow Class 1 and Class 2 electric bicycles on trails and sidewalks while discouraging or banning higher-speed devices.
Rob, the city staff presenter, walked through state classifications and the city's options. "We have 3 classes of e bikes... Class 1 is pedal-assist up to 20 miles an hour; Class 2 has a throttle and a 20 mph limit; Class 3 stops at 28 mph," he said, summarizing the statutory framework. Police Chief William said his department "doesn't typically have issues with the class 1 or class 2 bikes" but warned that high-powered devices and unlicensed e-motorcycles often cause the most enforcement problems.
Council members discussed enforceability, the effect of adjacent cities' rules on multi-jurisdiction trails, helmet and age requirements, and possible speed controls. Council member Campbell said she favored allowing Classes 1 and 2 and noted practical ride routes where sidewalks and trails are safer than roads. Council member Rice and others raised enforcement concerns after citing instances of high speeds on trails and collisions.
Rob said he had sufficient direction to proceed: staff will draft ordinance language aligning with state age tiers and emphasizing education and enforceable, factual criteria (bike class and helmet/age compliance) rather than solely speed limits, and will return to council for further review.
