Huron staff to hold work session on e-bikes and e-scooters after council raises safety concerns

HURON — City staff told the Huron City Council on June 24 they will hold a work session, likely in early July, to present options for regulating and enforcing use of e-bikes and e-scooters in Huron.

Council members and residents raised safety concerns about higher-speed electric bicycles operating on sidewalks and streets. "We are continuing to work through the nuances of controlling these ever faster devices on our sidewalks and on our roads," a city staff member said. Staff said there are conflicting sections in existing ordinances and that the city wants to present clear, enforceable language before publishing guidance.

City staff told council that enforcement resources are limited and that the city will focus first on clarifying rules and reeducation. "To put out bad information is worse than putting out no information. So once we work through that, we're going to start doing some reeducation," the staff member said. Staff indicated they will return to council with how the current ordinances are written, how enforceable they are and possible options to consider.

No ordinance changes were adopted at the June 24 meeting; staff was directed to prepare material for a work session and subsequent public education steps.