(KIWA Staff Photo)Estherville, Iowa (RI) — The Estherville City Council has approved new regulations for e-bikes, as well as electric scooters and skateboards on streets, sidewalks, and multi-use trails.
Estherville Police Chief Brent Shatto says the city’s bicycle ordinance has been expanded to include battery-powered mobility devices.
The ordinance also allows a device to be seized for one week on a first offense and two weeks on a second offense.
A separate ordinance that would have imposed a 10-mile-per-hour speed limit on city sidewalks failed on a 4-3 vote during this week’s Estherville City Council meeting.
The Iowa Bicycle Coalition says Iowa cities are considering regulations to address legitimate safety concerns involving e-bikes, e-scooters, e-motos, and other high-powered mobility devices. However, the group says a patchwork of different rules could be difficult for residents, law enforcement, and visitors to understand.
The Iowa Bicycle Coalition is calling on the Iowa legislature to create a statewide framework for regulating the devices.
