Council amends bike and mobility-device rules in second reading

The City Council conducted the second reading of a revised ordinance regulating bicycles, e‑bikes and other wheeled mobility devices and adopted the reading as amended.

Council members added a definition of “mobility device” to capture assistive devices including wheelchairs and tricycles, clarified the dismount-zone language (specifying where riding is prohibited except for mobility devices) and refined a night‑time restriction to cover the period “30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.” The amended language also added a juvenile alternative‑penalty schedule (a graduated citation structure with a one‑year lookback), which council agreed to refine further before third reading.

Council and staff emphasized the ordinance’s educational focus: Chief Siwek and staff said enforcement will prioritize education first, escalation second. The police chief also flagged that e-motorcycles (distinct from classed e-bikes) are already illegal under state statute and are treated separately in enforcement.

Why it matters: The ordinance intends to balance public safety on Main Street and other downtown corridors with accessibility for mobility-impaired users and to provide clearer rules for enforcement and public education. Council directed staff to continue outreach and to return with final language for third reading.