Highland Village officials continue to work to amend the city’s scooter ordinance in the wake of several accidents over the summer.
At their Tuesday night meeting, city council members received a presentation on the proposed “micro-mobility” ordinance from Police Chief Doug Reim.
A working group of staff from several city departments and council representatives met to work through updates to the ordinance and to develop safety guidelines and recommendations.
“The goals of the group were to update the scooter ordinance to include all “micro-mobility” devices, to focus on education, safety, enforceability, an ordinance palatable to our community and the ability to maintain versatility for future needs,” stated a press release from the city.
The proposed ordinance defines micro-mobility devices and the required equipment, sets general prohibitions, operational rules and penalties.
Besides electric scooters, micro-mobility devices include bicycles, electric bicycles, electric skateboards, Segways, hoverboards and unicycles.
Some of the proposed rules include the prohibition of electric scooters on any road where the speed limit is more than 30 miles per hour and requiring children to wear helmets.
A recent survey of residents showed 84% believe wearing a helmet should be required and nearly 60% believe all kids under 18 should wear a helmet.
Council will consider the first read of the ordinance at their meeting on October 24.
