Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Micromobility topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ferrysburg to study golf-cart and e-bike rules after public comment highlights limits and safety concerns
Summary
Council added golf carts and e-bikes to a future work session after citizens urged updating a 1971 ordinance and staff noted state law restricts golf carts to roads with posted speed limits of 30 mph or lower and requires street-legal upgrades.
A resident who proposed allowing golf carts on city streets argued that many modern golf carts are street-legal and that the city's ordinance (originally written for snowmobiles in 1971) is outdated. "I just think that ordinance is a little behind the times," Matt Jenkins said, urging council to examine rules used by neighboring municipalities.
Staff and council discussed legal limits: a city ordinance can permit golf carts in municipalities under 10,000 people, but Michigan law restricts golf-cart operation to roads with posted speed limits of 30 mph or less and requires that vehicles be street-legal with required lights and safety equipment. Tom Archambault urged the council to distinguish Type 1 assist e-bikes (pedal-assist for mobility-limited riders) from throttle-driven Type 2 and 3 models when writing any rules; council agreed to include golf carts and e-bikes on the next work session agenda.
