Another Johnson County city is cracking down on e-bikes by adding new rules for younger users.
In the city of Fairway, e-bike users must now be at least 15 years old, or under the direct supervision of an adult. The city also now requires minors to wear helmets.
The new rules went into effect Tuesday, a week after the Fairway City Council voted Sept. 8 to adopt the new e-bike regulations.
Recently, e-bikes and e-scooters have grown in popularity among Johnson County children and, as such, have become the subject of new restrictions in Prairie Village as well as outright bans at shopping centers like Corinth Square, Ranch Mart and Nall Valley Shops.
Following resident public comment, the city council removed all mentions of e-scooters — which were originally subject to the same restrictions — from the ordinance. The city plans to consider e-scooter regulations at a later date.
Police concerned “something tragic is gonna happen”
Police Chief J.P. Thurlo told the city council last week that complaints about e-bikes and e-scooters started coming in about a year ago.
The police department gets an e-bike or e-scooter complaint nearly daily, Thurlo said.
Thurlo said his concern is that without parental guidance, “great bodily harm” or “serious injury” will come to young children who have no knowledge of the rules of the road.
Police officers have witnessed children run stop signs on e-bikes or e-scooters off 62nd and Granada streets, a four-way intersection, Thurlo said.
In one case, Thurlo said an 11-year-old riding an e-bike on Shawnee Mission Parkway reached 51 mph. That child, Thurlo said, told police officers that his father allowed him to “ride it around the neighborhood.”
“Those types of instructions aren’t clear to an 11-year-old,” Thurlo said. “I am deeply concerned that without supervision and proper instruction, something tragic is gonna happen.”
Residents say e-scooters deserve different regulations
Overall, residents who shared public comment last week were relatively split on the issue.
Some like Jim Hafner, a city council candidate, suggested the city also considers offering a training or licensing program in addition to the new regulations.
Nancy Henry said it would also be helpful if children on e-bikes or e-scooters also had a bell, to alert pedestrians when they are nearby. She said she has nearly been hit on occasion while walking her dogs.
Others like Leanne Brown, Jeremy Weis and Beau Jackson asked the city council to separate e-bikes from e-scooters.
These parents, whose children use e-scooters, argued that most e-scooters can only reach up to 15 miles per hour and offer children a sense of independence.
Brown said e-scooters have been a “game changer” for her family, as her kids can now ride them to and from school.
More than that, Brown said her children know there are certain rules that go along with riding e-scooters such as wearing helmets and watches and limiting where the children can ride the devices.
“I don’t think a couple of wild kids should ruin it for the rest of us who are trying to do the right things and set rules and do something positive for our kids,” Brown said.
Ultimately, after a back-and-forth about tabling the issue altogether or approving regulations for both e-bikes and e-scooters, the city council removed e-scooters from the ordinance for further review.
In the same vote, the city council approved enacting the new regulations for e-bikes alone.
More e-scooter conversations are on the horizon
- Next week, the city’s administration and finance committee is anticipated to discuss e-scooter regulations.
- No public comment is anticipated to be allowed at the committee meeting, though it is open to the public.
- The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 24 at city hall, 5240 Belinder Road.
Go deeper: Watch the entire city council discussion online here, starting at 1:11:42.
