ROCHESTER, Mich. (WWJ) -- With electric mobility options like e-bikes, electric scooters and hover boards on the rise, some local communities are clamping down.
WWJ's Tim Pamplin reports, as these high-speed, two-wheeled devices become an increasingly dangerous nuisance, Rochester is among the first municipalities in the area to address the issue.
The new rule covers the heart of Downtown Rochester's retail district along Main Street, running from Second Avenue down to University Drive. Supporters say fast-moving e-devices and crowded sidewalks simply don't mix.
The ordinance has received overwhelming support from local pedestrians and residents.
"It's the kids that and adults who have no respect for people, who are zipping around here, no worries about dogs, about people. Actually, one of my friends was hit," said Rochester resident Wendy Nicolls, who owns an e-bike herself and supports the new law.
City officials say the goal isn't to keep people off the devices — noting that more bikes and scooters are better than more cars in a downtown district—but rather to slow things down where pedestrian traffic is heaviest. The new local ordinance goes into effect next Friday.
Rochester isn't the only city tackling the issue. Royal Oak has a similar rule that outlaws riding on the sidewalk in its busy downtown district.
Christie Trevarrow with the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has been receiving calls from across Metro Detroit as other communities try to figure out what to do about the increasing popularity of these e-machines, some of which can reach top speeds of up to 40 mph.
