CCMinutes - 06/14/04 WS - Laserfiche WebLink

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Speaking to the issues of noise and pollution, Ms. Bishop said residents also expressed concern about the use of such vehicles in neighborhoods in general. Ms. Bishop termed motor-assisted scooters the ;;new kids on the block" and said they were sometimes used for alternative transportation and by those who preferred not to use a car. Sgt. Schulz discussed the impact of motor-assisted scooters on off-street paths. He made the following points: · Education about newly adopted laws is the key to the issue both for the public and for law en- forcement - local dealers were not required to provide the information to purchasers of the mo- tor-assisted vehicles. Some were providing good information and some were not. · The largest hurdle to enforcement is that it involves a violation that must be observed by a po- lice officer before any enforcement can occur. · The Eugene Police Department heard complaints related to noise on the paths and the speed at which vehicles traveled on the paths. · The laws in place adequately regulate the use of motor-assisted vehicles on the roadway; the de- partment's major concern is regulation on City paths. Sgt. Schulz said he did not think motor-assisted scooters were a fad. He believed they were here to stay, and their ramifications needed to be addressed. Mayor Torrey called for council questions and comments. Mr. Meisner preferred to see noise from motor-assisted scooters regulated on both streets and paths. He said motor-assisted scooters were very loud. He said that helmets were seldom worn by the scooter operators he saw, including children. He wanted the vehicles to be prohibited on all city paths, not just on paths in parks. Regarding enforcement, he acknowledged the problem caused by the fact a violation was involved. Ms. Taylor said she requested the work session because of the many constituent contacts she received. She thought the speed, noise, and, in some cases, odors from the vehicles were all problems. She was surprised that an operator's license was not required to operate a motor-assisted scooter. Ms. Taylor moved that the City Manager bring back an ordinance to the council ban- ning motor-assisted scooters from all City bicycle paths and bicycle lanes. The motion died for lack of a second. Ms. Taylor, seconded by Mr. Kelly, moved that the City Manager bring back an ordi- nance banning motor-assisted scooters from all City bicycle paths. Mr. Meisner objected that the motion did not ban the vehicles on the street and did not address noise. Ms. Taylor said the vehicles in question were noisy and created a hazard to bicyclists and pedestrians. They should not be allowed on the City's paths. MINUTES--Eugene City Council June 14, 2004 Page 8 Work Session