NORTHERN KENTUCKY — Two Northern Kentucky cities are moving forward with new regulations on e-bikes after safety concerns continue to spread across the region.
Fort Thomas City Council members introduced plans Monday to ban e-bikes on city sidewalks outside of residential neighborhoods.
"A lot of our storefronts are very close to the street, so there's a very short sidewalk, and we just want to make sure that they're not hitting anybody coming out of stores and just to keep things safe," Fort Thomas City Administrator Matthew Kremer explained Wednesday.
Fort Thomas officials have been looking to tackle the issue for a while now.
WATCH: How Fort Thomas & Fort Mitchell leaders are looking to tackle e-bike safety concerns
"We've been working on this for well over a year. It's just not a simple solution," Kremer explained.
Under the newly proposed ordinance, e-scooters would still be allowed on sidewalks, except in designated "Walk Your Wheels" areas.
"We're still looking for that to be a responsible use of [e-scooters,]" Kremer said. "The scooters can still go 15 miles an hour. Obviously we don't want that when there's pedestrians present."
The concerns comes as e-bikes and e-scooters have become a common way for kids in Fort Thomas to get to and from school. Kelsey Gall, a lifelong Fort Thomas resident and mother of two, said she has witnessed it firsthand.
"I see kids ride the e-bikes and scooters, especially during like the school rush hours a lot," Gall said.
Gall said she is not opposed to e-bike or e-scooter use but has concerns about how they are used near businesses.
"I think that on the sidewalks, especially in front of the storefronts, it can be dangerous with people entering the stores," Gall said. "I actually used to have a shop here right next to City Hall, and it was always a little nerve-wracking coming out if someone's going to zip by on a scooter."
In neighboring Fort Mitchell, city officials are also moving forward with their own regulations. The city plans to ban Class 3 e-bikes on all city sidewalks.
Fort Mitchell Mayor Greg Pohlgeers explained the classification system driving the decision.
"Class 1 and 2 essentially go up to 20 miles an hour. Class 3 goes up to 28 miles an hour," Pohlgeers said. "Our biggest concern is, is obviously the child safety, but also pedestrian safety as well."
Both the Fort Thomas and Fort Mitchell ordinances are set to undergo a second reading before being voted on by their respective city councils.
