Mebane’s city council has revised an old city ordinance that dealt with bicycles on residential sidewalks, deciding to allow electric-powered bicycles and scooters.
The matter first surfaced at a council meeting last October; city staff and the city’s bicycle and pedestrian advisory commission (BPAC), as well as a paid consultant to the city, have studied the issue periodically since.
The revised proposal this week was the culmination of these efforts.
The issue arose because of conflicting sections of the city’s ordinances. Historically, the city had prohibited bicycles on sidewalks, but in 2019 amended one portion of its ordinances to allow them, but last year staff discovered the conflicting provisions – one place allowed, in another they were prohibited altogether.
Also raised in that October 2023 council meeting was how to treat two newer modes of transportation – electronic-powered bicycles and well as motorized scooters.
One issue regarding the e-bikes and scooters was the maximum speed to allow. The revised ordinance proposed to set a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour, which city officials said was the most common limit set by other North Carolina jurisdictions, and the maximum allowed by state law.
But the BPAC had recommended 15 miles per hour, and councilman Jonathan White succeeded in persuading the council to revise the new ordinance to lower the limit to 15 mph.
Historically, the city has prohibited bicycles on sidewalks in the city’s central business district, and the new ordinance continues that prohibition for the newer means of transportation, as well.
White wondered about the possibility of allowing bicycles for small children – he suggested under age 8 – in the central business district, but the consensus was to leave in place the blanket prohibition.
Councilman Tim Bradley noted that the prohibition was as much to spare the riders of any age from dangerous conditions as anything.
The council ultimately adopted the new standards on a unanimous, 5-0 vote.
