Council considers downtown sidewalk ban for ebikes, scooters; police favor education first

The Watertown City Council held a first reading on proposed changes to Title 19, Chapter 7 that would prohibit operating bicycles and other "personal conveyance" devices on sidewalks inside a bounded downtown business district.

City Manager Steger said the main substantive change proposed is a ban on operating personal conveyances on downtown sidewalks and that staff seek council input on the draft. Assistant Chief Remmers reviewed five years of complaint data and told council the police have seen a steady increase in complaints and crashes involving bicycles and scooters: "We've seen an increase. Those just this year, we've had 5 already that involve scooters alone, 2 of which resulted in injuries," he said, and described the plan to pair the ordinance with a "walk your wheels" education campaign.

Council members asked whether enforcement would be practical and how the ordinance should treat three-wheeled cycles, mobility devices, and children. Councilman Shutti and others warned that prohibiting sidewalk use could unintentionally force some low-speed or mobility-dependent riders into road traffic. Dustin Lindner, a local bike-shop owner, said eliminating some sidewalk riding could push families and children onto narrow downtown streets with limited multi-use trails: "If we start eliminating skateboards off the sidewalks, we don't have roads downtown to ride skateboards," he said.

Assistant Chief Remmers said the department has prioritized education over citations and that many complaints come from young children; he also noted the department could research adding explicit exemptions for mobility devices. Council members encouraged continued refinement and public input before a possible second reading.

The ordinance is at first reading and no vote was taken; staff requested public feedback to refine language and exemptions for mobility devices and three-wheeled cycles.