Following an influx of feedback from the public — including some pushback — the Powell City Council is taking more time to consider some new and revised rules for powered devices and bikes.

The city currently doesn’t have any rules for the growing number of electric bikes and other powered devices, and Mayor John Wetzel and others believe some basic safety requirements are needed before there’s a serious accident involving the speedy machines.

“That’s why we’re up here discussing this, is the increased presence of 14-, 13-, 11-year-olds zinging around on ebikes,” Wetzel explained at a Feb. 2 meeting.

In January, the council gave preliminary approval to a set of requirements that generally clarify the devices are subject to the same rules as bikes and vehicles. But the proposed ordinances also add some new restrictions, including explicitly barring ebikes and electric- or gas-powered scooters from being ridden on city sidewalks, and, most controversially, banning both bikes and powered devices from being ridden on the busy section of Bent Street between First and Third streets.

City Administrator Zack Thorington said the downtown ban was the biggest complaint heard from those who contacted city hall.

“Everybody has said, ‘I understand [no riding] on the sidewalks, we don’t want to hit anybody as we ride,’ but it was the street itself” prohibition that drew concerns, Thorington said.

Wetzel and council members haven’t made a final decision on the downtown ban — or any of the other restrictions. After about a half-dozen members of the public offered input at last week’s meeting, the council voted unanimously to table the ordinances. They’ll likely be reconsidered at the council’s Tuesday, Feb. 17 meeting.

Freedom and accountability

On top of the concerns raised informally to city staff, a few commenters at last week’s meeting were concerned about overregulation.

Longtime bicyclist Larry Akin suggested the city should broadly aim to promote walking, jogging and biking in a fun, safe and respectful manner while expressing some general skepticism about creating more rules.

“Do we want to govern people’s lives by legislating laws and ordinances — which sometimes I know we have to do — or do we want to teach correct principles to our people through public workshops, clinics, advertisements, etc., and let them govern themselves?” Akin asked. “This is something that you have to decide, and I hope that you will put some time and some thought into this.”

He offered a lengthy set of written suggestions, mentioning that people should have the freedom to govern themselves while being held accountable for their actions.

Venus Bontadelli — who sees a number of ebike riders at her downtown store — struck a similar tone. 

She said “it doesn’t make sense to make more ordinances and more laws, more of everything, if the originals [relating to bikes] aren’t even being enforced.”

“We are in Wyoming, and the majority of the people here are here because they love their freedom and the freedom to be able to do the things that they like to do,” added Bontadelli, who recently sued the city over its exotic pet ordinances.

Still, she suggested it might make sense to have younger riders complete a basic safety course, to require those under 18 wear a helmet, to create potential penalties for unsafe riding and have parents held responsible for their children.

“A lot of parents, unfortunately, are just like, ‘Here, here’s your ebike, go out … into the community,’” Bontadelli said.

(The draft ordinances say it’s unlawful for a parent to “knowingly permit” their child to violate the city’s device rules and would require minors to wear helmets if they’re riding a speedier class III ebike.)

A ‘measuring stick’

Amid extensive comments of his own, former Powell resident and cyclist Rob Halstead questioned the wisdom of banning devices from Bent Street while cautioning against too many restrictions; Halstead said bikes offer a good way for young people to prepare for driving.

Wetzel agreed, but expressed concern about youth who are climbing aboard speedy devices with little or no formal education. At his residence across from Westside Elementary School, Wetzel said he sees perhaps 15 grade schoolers ride ebikes through his cul de sac every day.

“They’re doing 20 miles an hour when they cruise through that stop sign, and we need to slow them down,” he said, adding that the number of crashes involving the devices is on the rise.

While the aim is to educate youth and keep them safe, “if we don’t have the ordinances, the police can’t pull them over and have a conversation with them and start the education process,” the mayor said.

Councilman Steve Lensegrav later echoed that thought, explaining that the proposed rules — which would include the creation of potential fines for careless or reckless driving — are intended to provide some of the accountability that commenters referenced.

A Powell High School administrator, Lensegrav recalled recently shooing away a group of four boys who were popping wheelies on fat-tired motorcycle-looking bicycles in front of the school’s front doors during a basketball game. 

While the devices certainly didn’t belong on the sidewalk, “in order to have accountability, you have to have something; you have to have a measuring stick to be accountable to,” Lensegrav said.

More education

Luke Robertson, a PE teacher at Westside, said he believes education is a big piece of the equation and that he will continue to do his darndest teaching bike safety.

Robertson already includes a biking unit, which reinforces messages like riding on the right side of the road, obeying stop signs and generally following the same rules as vehicles.

“But at the same time, I think they also need to have that equal access to the road,” Robertson said.

He submitted a set of written comments to the council.

Powell Middle School student Connor Nelson, meanwhile, suggested the city could require classes for young ebike riders that teach responsibility and the rules of the road.

“I’m sure none of us here want to be like California,” Nelson said, to laughter, “but they have done something like that in California, and the accident rates for ebikes have gone down.”

Feedback appreciated

The council was set to vote on the ordinances for a second of three readings, but following the 50-minute discussion, it voted to table the rules.

“It gives time for more people” to speak up, said Councilman Zane Logan.

Several potential changes were discussed during the meeting. For example, the city could scrap the ban on riding on those two blocks of Bent Street or limit it to normal business hours; may require a rear tail light for night riding rather than just the red reflector called for in the draft; or potentially make other tweaks after going back over the drafts and feedback.

“I appreciate everybody coming out tonight, giving us their comments,” Wetzel told the audience, “because we need input.”

In its initial story last month, the Tribune mistakenly reported that the proposed ordinances would ban all devices from city sidewalks — including bikes — after a reporter misread some of the language and City Attorney Scott Kolpitcke mistakenly confirmed the reporter’s interpretation.

In fact, people-powered bikes would continue to be allowed on sidewalks with some restrictions, along with motorized skateboards, electric personal assistive mobility devices like Segways or Hoverboards, “pedestrian vehicles” used by those with physical disabilities and “toy vehicles” like mini bikes, kamikaze boards, go-peds and people-powered scooters.

However, ebikes and powered scooters would generally be restricted to city streets.

The draft ordinances that were considered last week can be viewed with the online edition of this story.