Roanoke City Council approves restrictions on e-bikes, e-scooters

The Roanoke City Council voted to add guidelines and restrictions on electric bicycles and electric scooters on city streets.

What happened?

During the July 14 meeting, the council voted unanimously to amend the city code of ordinances by adding a chapter on electronic mobility vehicles.

Mayor Carl E. “Scooter” Gierisch said many neighboring towns and cities have addressed issues that have arisen from the influx of e-bicycles and e-scooters on city streets and sidewalks.

“I’m a firm believer we need to get some rules and regulations established. If certain parts of the rules and regulations are maybe too restrictive, you come back and amend that,” Gierisch said.

He said he and Police Chief Jeff Williams talked about the concerns about e-bikes and e-scooters, and Williams helped format the approved ordinance.

The details

Twelve restrictions and prohibitions were placed on e-bikes and e-scooters. Notable rules state that a driver:

• Can’t operate an e-bike on a sidewalk
• Can’t operate an e-bike on city-wide trails more than 15 miles per hour
• Class 1 and Class 2 e-bicycles cannot go more than 20 miles per hour
• Class 3 e-bicycles cannot go more than 28 miles per hour
• No passengers unless vehicle is designed for that use
• Cannot exceed posted speed limit on public roadways
• No operation at nighttime unless bike or scooter is equipped with a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet
• Must keep all wheels on the ground
• Children under 18 years old may not operate an electric bicycle or electronic scooter while using a mobile device or wearing headphones/in-ear monitors
• No one under 15 years old may operate a Class 3 electric bicycle

If any of the above conditions are not followed, the ordinance outlines actionable consequences.

On the first or second offense, a fine could be assessed up to $500. On the third and subsequent offense within 12 months, the vehicle will be impounded. Any electric bicycles that are impounded will be released following payment of fines and fees.

What they’re saying

Resident Jonathan Ackmann spoke in the public comment portion of the meeting and said he knows the use of e-bikes irresponsibly has led to issues, but said an overall ban on using them on sidewalks was not a good idea.

He said some children in Roanoke use e-bikes to get to school, and that specific ban could force them to ride on streets like Marshall Creek Road with vehicles.

“I much more trust people’s judgement to be safe and know when to safely use the sidewalks instead of just banning across the board,” he said.

He suggested using an ordinance similar to Dallas, which bans use of e-bikes and e-scooters in high-pedestrian areas but does not from sidewalks.