9/22/2026 13:33:10 Tim Street commented on this case.
The answer to your question is "it depends."
The City's legal definition of bicycle includes e-bikes and similar devices that can travel up to 20MPH. We allow state defined Class I, II, and III eBikes on trails at a maximum speed of 20mph.
There has been a recent proliferation of new kinds of eBikes that can go much faster than this and these devices are basically undefined by state or local code. So there may be a park policy in effect about behavior, but there isn't a city ordinance underpinning any kind of enforcement. That is what we are working on with City Council.
Additionally, enforcement in the moment is hard -- as you suggested, it would be very hard to dedicate a police offer to trail patrol for three hours. However, if a better ordinance is written to allow for impoundment or fines based on behavior, and these could apply to the parent or guardian of a minor engaging in that behavior, it will give us a lot of options for both education and enforcement.
Sent notification to Tim Street, Anonymous
https://bloomington.in.gov/crm/tickets/view?ticket_id=214347
Tim Street commented on this case.
The answer to your question is "it depends."
The City's legal definition of bicycle includes e-bikes and similar devices that can travel up to 20MPH. We allow state defined Class I, II, and III eBikes on trails at a maximum speed of 20mph.
There has been a recent proliferation of new kinds of eBikes that can go much faster than this and these devices are basically undefined by state or local code. So there may be a park policy in effect about behavior, but there isn't a city ordinance underpinning any kind of enforcement. That is what we are working on with City Council.
Additionally, enforcement in the moment is hard -- as you suggested, it would be very hard to dedicate a police offer to trail patrol for three hours. However, if a better ordinance is written to allow for impoundment or fines based on behavior, and these could apply to the parent or guardian of a minor engaging in that behavior, it will give us a lot of options for both education and enforcement.
9/21/2026 18:42:13 Anonymous assigned this case to Tim Street
Sent notification to Tim Street, Anonymous
https://bloomington.in.gov/crm/tickets/view?ticket_id=214347
Anonymous assigned this case to Tim Street
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