E-bikes spark concern in Port, call for regulation

Former Port Washington Police Captain Mike Keller on Monday called on city needs to place restrictions on electric bicycles, scooters and similar devices before someone gets seriously hurt.

“I think it’s become an increasing problem and I think it needs to be addressed,” Keller told the committee, noting there have been two recent fatal accidents in Wisconsin involving these types of vehicles — including one in Sheboygan that killed a 14-year-old boy Saturday.

In a letter to Ald. Deb Postl, Keller said these devices are “quickly becoming more common in our neighborhoods, near schools and along local streets, but many riders who are not yet old enough to hold driver’s licenses appear to be operating them carelessly and without protective equipment or a clear understanding of traffic rules.”

Keller said in an interview that he saw a couple of youths on e-bikes on the street between Upper Lake Park and Veterans Park, riding on the rear wheels.

“I can’t be the only one seeing these things,” he said, adding that the problem is less adults on these vehicles than those younger than 16.

“It’s those who can’t drive a vehicle yet,” he said. “It’s a new-found freedom for them.”

City Engineer Roger Strohm agreed, saying the issue “seems to have exploded.”

“We want to get in front of the e-bike situation,” he said.

Ald. Dan Benning, the committee chairman, asked what other communities are doing, saying it’s an important issue.

“I’ve got kids driving e-cycles through my back yard, he said. “I see them around here.

“They’re just dangerous because the speed is so much higher (than a pedal bike).”

Port is not the only area community looking to regulate e-bikes.

The City of Cedarburg was to consider a proposed  ordinance this week that would require e‑bike and e‑scooter users to follow state traffic laws, use proper lighting during nighttime operation, maintain functional brakes and operate their devices with care, according to the city’s website.

The ordinance also establishes where different classes of e‑bikes and e‑scooters may operate, including streets, shared‑use paths and certain designated sidewalks. Rules for responsible parking — such as keeping sidewalks clear for pedestrians — are also included.

The proposed ordinance also prohibits unsafe or unlawful behaviors such as tampering with devices to modify speed, mislabeling e‑bike classes, operating while intoxicated or riding with headphones in both ears, and it prohibits riding on the sidewalks within the Downtown Business District.

City Attorney Matt Nugent told the committee, which took no action on the matter, that the city has to be careful not to separate pedal bikes from electric scooters and bikes in its ordinances.

“E-bikes have to have the same rights as regular bicycles” under state law, he said, adding bikes are allowed throughout the city except on downtown sidewalks, the harborwalk and boardwalks and public parking lots.

Because these vehicles must be treated equally, Nugent said, many new ordinances approved by communities aren’t enforceable.

Interim Police Chief Craig Czarnecki said he believes there are enough existing laws to deal with e-bikes, but he noted that there’s a difference between e-bikes and electric motorcycles that many people don’t understand or appreciate.

“Parents are buying these things because their kids think they’re cool,” he said. “These aren’t bicycles. These are straight up electric motorcycles.”

Those vehicles, he said, must be registered, have lights and turn signals, and drivers must be licensed.

Czarnecki said the city should look at what behaviors need to be addressed more than the types of vehicles being used.

“There are behaviors we can address. I think that’s where we should be focusing,” he said. “We already have tools for enforcement.”

He said Port police have issued about a half-dozen citations in the last year for violations such as having no headlights, tail lights, registration or a licensed driver.

“To this point, it’s worked,” Czarnecki said. “When we’ve spotted violations, we’ve issued tickets.

“It’s not necessarily riding them that’s the problem. It’s riding these things and doing something stupid.”

A big part of the solution, he said, is educating children and parents about what is and isn’t allowed.