West University Place officials tabled a decision on an ordinance amendment to regulate micromobility vehicles, such as electric scooters, electric bikes and powered skateboards.
What the ordinance says
The proposed ordinance would prohibit e-scooters from being used on city streets. It would also prohibit e-bikes from being used on city sidewalks and the use of e-bikes within city limits between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The ordinance would also ban golf carts, vehicles that can go up to 35 miles per hour and all-terrain vehicles on the city’s streets and sidewalks. The amendment also mandates helmet use for all vehicles.
What happened
During the May 12 meeting, Police Chief Gary Ratliff said that someone asked for his professional opinion on comments made by other council members. He said that he agreed with statements from council member John Barnes when he said that the council’s job is to manage the overall level of risk as much as possible through passing ordinances.
“This is all that your elected body can do to be responsible for the safety of the citizens of West U,” Ratliff said. “That's exactly a correct statement.”
Ratliff also responded to a comment from council member Clay Brett who suggested bringing the issues of e-bikes to the community and letting residents be part of a committee or commission to come to a viable solution.
“Honestly, if this wasn't a safety issue, I would think that that would be an option, but this is a safety issue, so I honestly do not think that creating a task force or community group with safety issues like this is appropriate,” Ratliff said. “This is a poll-riding subject with people on both sides. No matter what the ordinance is, if a child dies, council will immediately bring it back for review.”
However, Brett said that he believes responsible users should be permitted to continue to have the freedom to use the streets.
“I trust our citizens to enjoy their freedom responsibly,” he said. “We’ve seen a dozen kids come here over the last two weeks with their parents and say, ‘I wear helmets, I use this responsibly, this is a big part of my life.’ And this is a big part of our community’s lives.”
Brett presented other legal options that do not include banning the vehicles, with a comprehensive list of policy proposals. Some of the proposals include:
- Adding a permit certification system
- Adding operation rules
- Requiring helmets
- Time of day rules
- Citywide communication strategy
What residents are saying
Residents and some city officials were split in their feelings on the ordinance. Resident Tom Rees said he believes it is dangerous to put motorized vehicles on the sidewalk because they are sometimes uneven.
“I think it’s our job to make sure they’re used properly and safely, versus just pushing them to pavements where we have kids, dogs, adults alike,” he said. “It’s going to be a danger for them.”
David Sanberg said he “wholeheartedly” endorses the ordinance.
“As a pediatric neurosurgeon who has practiced pediatric neurosurgery for over two decades, I have seen so many preventable tragedies, including deaths from kids riding various motorized vehicles without helmets,” he said. “Regulating these vehicles and mandating helmet use will save lives.”
What’s next?
The ordinance was tabled in a 3-2 vote for a later, unspecified date. Brett suggested they can bring the ordinance back with updates that include requiring a license, having a public forum and making it consistent with Southside Place’s laws, which includes having a license, an age requirement and regulation on where they can be used.
