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Police to start education and limited enforcement after surge in e‑bike complaints
Summary
After multiple public complaints about high‑speed e‑bikes on sidewalks and Main Street, the police chief said the department completed a review and will launch an education campaign followed by reasonable enforcement aimed at improving pedestrian safety.
Public commenters told the council Aug. 12 they have seen e‑bikes ridden at high speeds on sidewalks and near intersections, creating safety concerns for pedestrians. One resident recounted a near collision and urged the council to act "before there's a tragedy."
Chief Gibbons said the police department has finished an initial review and planned a two‑stage response: an education campaign for children and adults about where different classes of e‑bikes may be ridden and how riders should behave, followed by a measured enforcement campaign that will start with warnings and escalate as needed. "We are already knee deep into that audit and review," the chief said, and added that enforcement will be reasonable and paired with outreach and rewards for good behavior such as ice‑cream coupon events for kids.
Council members said they would consider ordinances used in nearby towns that limit e‑bike sidewalk riding and asked staff to bring potential language to the long‑range traffic and pedestrian safety committee.
Provenance (selected excerpts): topicintro — "I've seen kids riding very fast on sidewalks...doing about 30 miles an hour on Main Street." (SEG 635); topfinish — "Once we're done with the education campaign, we will start an enforcement campaign..." (Chief Gibbons) (SEG 1302).
