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Council expands downtown no-wheeled zone to include e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards
Summary
Grand Haven City Council on Aug. 3 approved amendments to city ordinances to add electric bicycles, scooters and skateboards to the downtown 'no-wheeled' social-district zone and to ban those devices on the pedestrian boardwalk during the seasonal closure period; officials said enforcement will emphasize signage and education.
Grand Haven City Council voted unanimously Aug. 3 to update two city ordinances so that electric bicycles, electric scooters and electric skateboards are prohibited in the downtown 10-block 'no wheeled zone' during the seasonal street closure and are also banned from the pedestrian boardwalk.
Nicole Hudson, chief of public safety, told the council the change is a second reading to bring the code 'to include electric bicycles, electric scooters, and electric skateboards' and to reflect new micro-mobility modes that have emerged over recent years. Hudson described the measure as aligning enforcement with the barricade schedule and said the prohibition on the 10-block section matches the actual closure dates.
Council members pressed staff on practical enforcement and messaging. Several members urged expanded signage and education rather than immediate fines; Hudson said staff will coordinate a public information campaign and added, 'there's a lot of people that just didn't even realize there was a no wheel zone. There are signage down there. They're not big enough, and so we're looking at different ways we can get that point across.'
Council also discussed ADA exemptions for mobility devices used as assistive equipment and the difficulty of enforcing vehicle-type distinctions (class 1/2/3 pedal-assist differences) on a boardwalk. Members encouraged planning for bike lanes and on-street options so that people who want to ride have safer places to do so.
The ordinance language was approved by roll-call vote; councilmembers and staff characterized the update as a first step that can be revisited as technology and enforcement tools evolve.
