After a committee was formed to look into regulating electric scooter use for safety reasons, Ordinance 24-25 was presented to Dover Council at its June 2 meeting. Council discussed the proposed ordinance and held it for another reading.
The ordinance covered some basics of electric scooter use and more. Traffic laws that apply to electric scooters should be followed whenever they are being operated within the city. Traffic law violators would be subject to a ticket, citation or summons by police.
“They must operate it with safety in mind and not operate without due regard for safety, exercising reasonable and ordinary control over the device,” said Bob Everett, safety director.
Everett has said in past council meetings that regulation was needed to prevent a serious accident from occurring. The ordinance is not to punish scooter riders but to ensure their safety. While meeting, the electric scooter safety committee also looked at ordinances that have been enacted by two other Ohio cities, Mayfield Heights and South Euclid.
An electric scooter that is operated on city streets or sidewalks in Dover needs to have the following equipment:
—Handlebars.
—Two wheels, one in front and one in back.
—An electric motor, solely powered by the electric motor and/or human power.
—A reflector light in the back and a lamp pointed forward in the front if operated at night.
There are some other restrictions electric scooter drivers must keep in mind. Electric scooters cannot be operated on streets or highways with speed limits higher than 35 mph. Electric scooters cannot exceed 20 mph. Electric scooter riders must wear a helmet unless they are at least 18 years old. Electric scooter riders must stand on the standing board while riding. No more than one rider per electric scooter is permitted. Riders shall not carry items that require both hands. A rider must keep at least one hand on the steering handlebars at all times. Riders cannot weave or zigzag while operating an electric scooter. Riders must yield to and give audible signals to pedestrians.
Electric scooters will be prohibited within the business district or upon any sidewalk that is posted to not allow scooter operation.
Within the safety and human resources committee meeting, another ordinance that will regulate electric scooter and electric bicycle operation at Dover City Park was discussed.
In that ordinance, electric scooters would not be allowed to be ridden on park property with the exception of Pool Road. Riders could ride their electric scooters to the park, and the city would provide extra places for the scooters to be locked or the rider could walk their scooter.
A Dover resident attended the meeting with questions about the electric bike portion of the proposed ordinance, which would prohibit electric bikes from grass, turf, playgrounds, walking paths and any portion of park property not designed for motor vehicles. The committee agreed to discuss it further, and it was not taken out of committee.
In other legislation, council approved Ordinance 21-25, which will allow a choice for 1 1/2-inch and 2-inch water services at the discretion of the water department, to be either type K soft copper or SDR9 CTS potable water line with a 200 PSI or greater rating. The latter type of line would provide a cost savings.
Council also passed Emergency Ordinance 25-25, which authorized an additional $86,000 for the 12-inch water line project along Ohio Avenue and to widen Ohio Avenue due to the rising costs of materials on the bids they received.
In his mayor’s report, Shane Gunnoe updated council on city department projects. The water department is repaving of a portion of road damaged due to a waterline break over the winter in the 600 Block of North Tuscarawas Avenue. The IT department met with its downtown public Wi-Fi contractor; the project is expected to begin the week of June 16.
The third annual downtown Dover Business Support Walk will be held June 18.
“Representatives from the City of Dover, Tuscarawas EDC and other local agencies will walk throughout downtown and meet with business leaders to discuss ways we can help support them in Dover,” Gunnoe said.
The next Dover Council meeting will be held June 16 in council chambers, 121 E. Second St., Dover.
