Granville council members and police discussed an increase in complaints about electric bicycles and targeted outreach after council members said interactions between officers and riders have risen in recent weeks. Police described current local rules and said they are reviewing practices used by other municipalities.

The discussion followed reports of “a large influx of interactions” between police and people riding e-bikes, Police Chief said. “The standard is if you have an e‑bike, there is a pedal‑only mode, and you can be on sidewalks in pedal‑only mode only,” the Chief said, adding that most of the bikes officers have been stopping are Class I or II models.

The matter gained attention after several council members raised safety and enforcement concerns. One council member said the issue affects “everybody,” not only older residents, and flagged enforcement challenges when riders are pushed into streets where lane rules and traffic safety create other hazards.

Council members and police discussed technical details and limits of local authority. The Chief noted that many e‑bikes include a pedal‑assist or pedal‑only setting that allows the rider to operate the bike much like a conventional bicycle. “Pedal only mode is…you can move just like as if it were a bike,” the Chief said when asked whether pedal‑only mode functions like ordinary bicycling. Police staff said they have not routinely used speed measurement tools such as radar guns to check e‑bike speeds during these enforcement actions.

Police said most repeat contacts involve juveniles and that the department has used targeted outreach, particularly downtown, and posted guidance on department channels. Council members requested that the police research how other municipalities regulate e‑bikes and consider whether more restrictive local rules — including banning e‑bikes in some public spaces or sidewalks — would be advisable. Officials cautioned that limiting sidewalk use could push riders into streets, creating new safety issues.

Council members urged residents to report repeat offenders to the police. “If you see something, please call in. You now know that it's pedaling only on the sidewalks and if it's a repeat offender, there are consequences,” a council member said.

No ordinance or binding policy change was adopted at the meeting. Council directed police to continue outreach and to investigate benchmarking from other communities; council members said staff could bring recommendations back for further discussion.