A Pleasant Hill City Council member is calling on the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) to bring stakeholders together to create a model metro-wide e-bike ordinance, though other metro leaders argue that would be unnecessary.
Why it matters: The Des Moines metro is praised for its vast continuous trail system, but a patchwork of local ordinances could leave riders confused about what rules apply as they cross city lines.
- “If they’re all disjointed, I think it’s going to be a mess, because you can literally pit one community against another,” Pleasant Hill City Councilman Len Murray tells Axios.
The big picture: Cities across the metro are wrestling with how to regulate a surge of children and teens on high-powered electric scooters and electric motorcycles.
- These devices can travel 30 mph to 40 mph and are already regulated under state law, though enforcement is thin.
Driving the news: During an MPO meeting last week, elected officials across several cities disagreed over the organization’s role following Murray’s proposal.
- The MPO was built to coordinate regional transportation across the metro, but local officials in the last two years scaled back the organization after arguing it had strayed beyond its core mission of planning transportation projects and directing federal funding. The reset came alongside new executive leadership.
- On Thursday, an MPO committee will take up the e-moto question and weigh in on whether the organization should expand its role.
Flashback: Metro police chiefs have taken the lead in bringing a model ordinance to their individual city councils, but it’s encountered friction, and initial proposals have differed from each other…