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EUGENE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Action: An Ordinance Concerning Motorized Transportation Devices and Motor Assisted Scooter Sales; Amending Sections 4.990, 5.010, and 5.990 of the Eugene Code, 1971; and Adding New Sections 4.979 and 5.160 to that Code Meeting Date: February 28, 2005 Agenda Item Number: 6 Department: Eugene Police Staff Contact: Sergeant Derel Schulz www. cl. eugene, or. us Contact Telephone Number: 682-5157 ISSUE STATEMENT The council will consider action on an ordinance banning motorized transportation devices from all City-owned, off-street paths, prohibiting the use of such devices in a manner that disturbs the peace and requiring Eugene merchants to make certain disclosures related to the sale of motor-assisted scooters. BACKGROUND The City Council held an initial work session on June 14, 2004, to address growing public concern about conflicts between motor-assisted scooters and bicyclists, automobiles, pedestrians and neighborhood residents. Complaints from the public centered around noise, pollution from two-stroke combustion engines and conflicts between users on the bicycle and pedestrian paths. The City Council directed the City Manager to develop a number of options for regulation of motor-assisted scooters that would address the salient issues of noise; on-street and bicycle and pedestrian path use. A community workshop was held on August 12, 2004, to gather comments regarding the use of motor- assisted scooters on bicycle and pedestrian paths. Of the 72 people who attended the workshop, seventy-nine percent were bicycle and pedestrian users of the paths. The opinions of these individuals ranged from 32 people being completely opposed to any use of motorized transportation devices on the paths to 12 who believed that with some constraints, electric motor-assisted scooters would be tolerable; others were interested in some compromise of limited use. Results from the community workshop, an intercept survey of path users and numerous other public contacts provided information which was used to develop three options for regulation. These options, which were presented to City Council at a second work session held on September 15, 2004, were accepted by the council and pursuant to City Council direction. The proposed ordinance will: · Ban motorized transportation devices from all City-owned off-street paths; · Prohibit use of motorized transportation devices in a manner that disturbs the peace, and · Require merchants to make certain disclosures related to the sale of motor-assisted scooters. The proposed ordinance defines "motorized transportation device" as any vehicle that is not propelled exclusively by human power, including but not limited to an electric-assisted bicycle (when not being operated by human propulsion), an electric personal assistive mobility device, a moped, a motor-assisted L:\CMO\2005 Council Agendas\M050228\S0502286.doc