AUBURN, Wash. — The misuse of electric bikes and scooters is causing significant damage to city parks, as riders take the motorized vehicles off designated paths and across grass and open space.
The damage has been reported primarily at Lakeland Hills Park and Evergreen Park, according to Auburn police, where torn-up turf and muddy ruts have become increasingly visible over the past six months.
“We want kids to be outside. We want kids to be on their bikes and using our parks and not being inside on video games or whatever it may be,” said Kolby Crossley, spokesperson for the Auburn Police Department. “It’s the electric motorcycles and the class 3 e-bikes that are causing the issues, the ones that have a little more power and get closer to 30 miles per hour. Those are the ones that are prohibited in the parks.”…