Powell residents are pushing city officials to adopt clear rules for electric bicycles and other micro-mobility devices, after a city survey found overwhelming concern about unsafe riding on streets and shared-use paths. Powell Police Chief Ron Sallows presented the survey results to the city’s operations committee on Tuesday, and committee members took the first steps toward developing legislation, according to a report from The Delaware Source. No action was taken at the meeting, but members agreed on the direction they want a future draft to take.
The August survey drew 306 responses, including 233 from residents with verified city addresses. In the results, 97.4 percent described micro-mobility devices as at least a moderate safety concern, and 78.5 percent as a significant concern. About 91.8 percent pointed to unsafe operation on streets and paths, while 74.2 percent cited pedestrian safety and 71.2 percent cited riders not wearing helmets.
Committee members said they want any legislation to cover all micro-mobility devices, not only e-bikes. That broader approach would also include e-scooters, e-skateboards, mopeds and similar vehicles. Members also said they want riders age 18 and younger to be required to wear a helmet. Sallows said the goal is to develop rules that are understandable to residents, enforceable by officers and protective of pedestrians without removing reasonable mobility options in Powell.
According to the survey summary, residents did not ask for a complete ban. About half of respondents favored further restrictions on devices in certain spaces, and another 24.1 percent suggested specific steps such as age restrictions, licensing or certification, helmet rules, speed limits, location restrictions or stronger enforcement of existing laws. Written comments focused consistently on unsafe rider behavior rather than on the devices themselves, including concerns about juvenile riders, excessive speed, failure to obey stop signs and traffic laws, and parental responsibility.
The discussion follows a Powell Police Department e-bike education campaign launched in June, prompted by community concerns and 47 reported incidents or complaints involving e-bikes and other special motorized vehicles from January 2025 to May 2026. The campaign emphasized rider safety, where e-bikes may legally be ridden and what counts as a legal e-bike, and officers gave free ice cream coupons to children observed riding safely.
Sallows also reviewed how nearby cities have handled the issue. New Albany adopted 15 code amendments covering definitions, traffic rules, path provisions, equipment and helmets. Columbus applies a 25 mile-per-hour speed cap and other restrictions, Dublin limits certain small devices to streets posted at 25 miles per hour or less, and Delaware requires some riders to disengage the motor on sidewalks. Upper Arlington and Dublin also have parental-responsibility provisions the committee was asked to consider.
The operations committee is expected to meet at least once more before the end of the year. Any draft would still need review and approval by Powell City Council before taking effect. The next steps will determine where devices may be ridden, what speed and lighting rules apply, and how the requirements would be enforced.
Photo: Freshman404, CC BY-SA 4.0