A proposed rewrite of Chelsea’s scooter and e-bike ordinance would require a helmet on every rider and passenger, set fines of $50, $100 and $200, and send parents the bill when a rider is younger than 16 and a half. Councillor-at-Large Leo Robinson filed the measure, order 2683, for the City Council meeting on Monday, November 16, at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 500 Broadway.
The text became public Thursday afternoon, when the city posted the meeting packet. The agenda released that morning gave only the title. The order would strike the existing Section 16-79 of the city code and put new language in its place.
What the proposal says
- Helmets. An operator or passenger of a motorized scooter or electric bike would have to wear a helmet at all times.
- Fines. $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second and $200 for a third.
- Confiscation. The text says all motorized scooters and e-bikes “will be confiscated and towed at the cost of the owner.”
- Riders under 16 and a half. A parent or guardian would be responsible for the fine. The vehicle would be held until an adult reclaims it and receives a citation.
- Passengers. No passengers unless the vehicle has a seat designed for one. Trailers and seats made to carry children under 7 would be allowed.
- Reckless riding. Scooters and electric bicycles could not be operated in a reckless manner that unreasonably endangers riders, passengers, pedestrians or motorists.
- Parking. No motorized skateboard, scooter, e-bike or other motorized recreational vehicle could be parked or placed on a sidewalk, in a park or playground, or on other city property.
The 5 mph line
The broadest sentence in the draft covers where these vehicles may be ridden at all. It says no person shall operate a motorized scooter, motorized skateboard, e-bike or other motorized vehicle capable of speeds greater than 5 mph on any public way, sidewalk, playground or other property owned by the city.
Five exceptions follow: vehicles owned by federal, state or municipal agencies; vehicles used by people with disabilities; landscaping and snow removal equipment; emergency medical vehicles; and electric-assist bikes, as long as the assistance does not exceed 15 mph and is not used while the bike is on a sidewalk.
As written, that would allow pedal bikes with electric assist up to 15 mph on the street and would not allow a stand-up motorized scooter that can go faster than 5 mph on any public way. Whether the sponsor intends that reading is a question for Monday’s meeting.
Definitions
The draft defines a motorized scooter as one powered by gasoline, alcohol fuel or electricity, with a platform or small seat and a T-bar control column. It defines an electric bicycle by pointing to the Class 1 and Class 2 definitions in Chapter 90, Section 1 of the state’s General Laws, and adds two-wheeled or three-wheeled vehicles with working pedals and an electric motor under 750 watts whose top speed is under 20 mph.
The reasons given
The order’s opening clauses say e-bikes and other motorized vehicles are on Chelsea’s roads more often and at speeds their drivers cannot control, that they have caused harm in crashes in the city and across the state, and that use by unlicensed young people is rising and needs to be monitored as a matter of public safety.
Police described a 90-day scooter enforcement plan to a council committee in September, including a rider course for teenagers and the seizure of scooters.
What happens next
The order is listed under new business, the last item before public announcements. The packet does not include a side-by-side comparison with the current Section 16-79, so the record posted for the meeting does not show which of these rules are new and which are already on the books. The council’s agenda keeps a separate section for second readings, where measures come back for a later vote.
Residents can speak during the public speaking period near the start of the meeting. The rest of Monday’s agenda, including the tax rate hearing, is in our preview.