By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Electric scooter operators will have to rely on leg power if they want to use sidewalks in Bowling Green.
On Monday evening, Bowling Green City Council amended and adopted an ordinance for low-speed micromobility devices – basically e-scooters.
The changes ban the use of e-scooters on downtown sidewalks, and ban their use on sidewalks through the rest of the community with the motors engaged. With this amendment, the city’s ordinance now matches state law, according to council member Jeff Dennis.
The vote on the amendment was 5-1, with the sole “no” vote from Bill Herald.
Herald said the ordinance does not deal with the real issue, which is the speed of e-scooters on sidewalks. He suggested that e-scooter operators should be allowed to use their motors on sidewalks as long as they don’t exceed the speed limit of 20 mph.
Dennis agreed the speed is the issue. However, he pointed out that the city is not equipped, nor would it want to enforce speed limits on sidewalks.
Herald countered that being on sidewalks is safer for e-scooter operators than being on streets. But Dennis said pedestrians are not safer, sharing sidewalks with motorized scooters. Older city residents have expressed their concerns about not hearing the e-scooters and not being able to jump out of the way fast enough.
“Those are the residents I hear from primarily, that have been extremely concerned,” Dennis said.
City Council President Mark Hollenbaugh said the ordinance amendment does its best to address local concerns.
“Nothing is going to be perfect,” he said, noting that technology is constantly changing and city ordinances try to keep up.
“Next year we may be talking about kids on hoverboards,” Hollenbaugh said.
Last August, council discussed the need to clean up confusion about where electric scooters can be legally used in the city.
The city had conflicting ordinances on the books regarding low-speed micromobility devices – defined as devices with handlebars, propelled by an electric or gas motor, with a speed of not more than 20 mph.
Wording in one ordinance allowed motorized scooters on sidewalks, and one did not. That had led to problems for the police division.
