Spencer, IA (northwestiowanow.com) — The Spencer City Council has reviewed a potential ordinance regulating e-bikes and e-scooters and intends to take it to a vote. They reviewed the draft at a workshop session Monday night.
For months they have been reviewing what other communities across the state have done and assessing perceived issues already present locally with the sudden influx of the motorized toys in town. Concerns basically boil down to two issues: how fast should they be allowed to go, and where.
The proposed ordinance would ban vehicles on sidewalks on Grand Avenue between Park Street and 8th Street; one block east and west of Grand Avenue on 34d, 4th, 5th, and West 6th Streets; and on the Grand Avenue Bridge. It would also ban all classes of electric bikes that are capable of exceeding 20 mile per hour from sidewalks in all city parks and multi-use trails; and bikes would be limited to 10 miles per hour within any city park.
The ordinance also pretty much would require high-speed electric bikes to follow common rules of the road when it comes to passing, yielding to pedestrians, and pulling into traffic.
The ordinance would have some teeth: Violations would carry a 25 dollar fine on the first offense, 100 on the second, and 300 on the third. As with any rule, enforcement will be the issue.
The city council informally decided to put adoption on a future city council agenda. It will need three readings to pass.
