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E-bike safety in Milwaukee County parks; leaders taking up speed limit proposal
Electric bike and scooter riders could soon be required to slow down on Milwaukee County trails. The Committee on Parks and Culture will take up a proposal on Tuesday that would put speed limits on county trails and paths.
MILWAUKEE - Some county leaders want to put the brakes on e-bike riders in Milwaukee County parks. The Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture is set to discuss a proposal Tuesday that would set a 15 mph speed limit on the Oak Leaf Trail and other county paths.
Proposed speed limit
The Details:
The county said the big concern is the speed difference between people using these trails. Under this proposal, the 15 mph limit would apply where signs are posted – and parks could set an even lower limit in areas where there is more conflict.
The county is also dealing with the growing number of electric bikes and what are called e-motos. These can look a lot like e-bikes – but some can go much faster and do not fit Wisconsin's legal definition of an e-bike.
A separate amendment asks whether the county has the authority to create specific penalties for illegal e-moto use – including whether parents could be held responsible when minors break the rules.
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This is really about two things: slowing down trail traffic – and figuring out how the county can enforce the rules around these faster electric rides. If the committee passes the measure Tuesday, it then moves forward to the full county board for a vote.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s reporter and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture, Milwaukee County, county leaders and Milwaukee County Parks.