This story is part of Worthington Pulse's coverage of the July 13 City Council meeting.
Worthington's new rules for e-bikes, e-scooters, and other small motorized devices will not be adopted before September, but residents will get their first look at the draft soon. Council spent an extended stretch of the July 13 meeting debating whether the city is moving fast enough on what council member Joy Dong called "a public health emergency". The outcome: staff will include a draft ordinance, hold a community feedback period, and discuss and vote on adoption in September, when regular meetings resume.
Where the rules stand
City staff have been drafting a rewrite of Chapter 373 of the city code, the chapter covering bicycles and similar vehicles, since council reviewed a working group's recommendations in the spring. Staff told council the draft is substantial: "We're talking about a whole chapter in our code section". It includes a requirement that all minors wear helmets when operating these devices, which is not current law, and cleans up internal inconsistencies in the existing code.
The other piece still in development is a juvenile diversion program, which council previously asked for so that young riders cited under the new rules could be routed to education rather than Franklin County Juvenile Court. Staff have been studying programs in other jurisdictions, including a conversation with a New Albany probation officer. Adults are already being cited under existing law; an e-scooter rider over 18 appeared in Mayor's Court last week for running stop signs.
The push to move faster
Several council members argued the city is missing the season when the devices are most heavily used. One described a student who was nearly struck by a dirt bike traveling roughly 40 miles per hour on the bike trail. Another said watching Westerville publish its own draft language was "the tipping point" for them. Ideas floated included adding the topic to the already crowded July 20 agenda, holding special meetings during council's traditional August recess, and passing the ordinance by emergency.
Staff pushed back on compressing the process. Law Director Tom Lindsey said emergency legislation is rare in Worthington and rarer still for creating criminal offenses, and cautioned that "rushing sometimes creates mistakes". He also urged council to keep the ordinance in perspective: "simply passing this law is not going to prevent the bad behavior that occurs". Reckless driving has been illegal for a century, he noted, and still happens. Staff also cautioned that compressing hearings into one or two meetings would shortchange the community's chance to weigh in on new criminal violations involving their kids.
Council President Rachael Dorothy cautioned against being "way too heavy handed" on devices that carry less momentum than cars, saying she wants more people, kids included, outside on bikes and scooters safely. Another council member said school-start season made three August meetings unworkable, and questioned whether new rules would change behavior when drivers of all ages already run stop signs. Council Member Pete Bucher said the normal timeline gives the community the time it needs.
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Where council landed
The compromise: staff will include the draft ordinance, with options on the open questions, in the packet that goes out Thursday July 16. That gives council a possible first discussion on July 20, time permitting. The draft then circulates publicly through August, which Lindsey framed as its own form of outreach; residents can compare options and weigh in with council members before any hearing. Formal introduction, public hearing, and adoption are expected in September. Staff confirmed the juvenile diversion program could be added after the ordinance passes if it isn't ready at the same time.
Education continues in the meantime
Communications Director Aubrey Hale said the city's two social media safety posts, on June 18 and July 9, reached more than 19,000 people, and at least one safety video is in production. A Worthington police officer has already visited elementary classrooms at principals' request. Council asked staff to bring a broader communications plan to the July 20 meeting. Several members pushed for more outreach now, including sharing what state law already requires, since much of the confusion involves devices that are not legal on streets at all.
Staff noted the issue will not fade with summer. Administrators report piles of scooters outside school buildings during the year, and school sites in other communities are hotspots for e-mobility problems.
On the Olentangy Trail, the city's existing rules already prohibit Class 3 e-bikes and dirt bikes, and the posted trail speed limit is 15 miles per hour. Staff noted a complication: Columbus, which borders the trail on both ends of Worthington's section, has not yet adopted its own device regulations.
This is one of 3 Worthington Pulse stories from the July 13 meeting recap.