MONROE — As e-bikes and all manner of electric-driven conveyances continue to multiply on Monroe’s streets, Mayor Tom Miller said last Monday that the city and his administration are committed to coming up with some common-sense rules about their use.

The issue is especially critical downtown around the square, where riders and pedestrians can have close encounters, officials learned during Monday’s Common Council meeting. The e-bike issue was raised by the mayor who said he is receiving frequent calls and will be looking for updated rules covering e-bikes from Public Safety Committee meetings and common council.

Meanwhile, police are studying the issue with an eye on public safety for both riders and pedestrians in denser areas of town.

“(Police) Chief (Nathan) Foltz is on it — he puts stuff on social media…,” said the mayor. “And he is working with his officers to be able to enforce (the rules) it more.”

Meanwhile, there are also efforts afoot to integrate e-bike ridership and safety education through programs for new riders in schools and locations such as the local YMCA, according to officials.

Miller said he understands the allure of electric bikes and scooters for people in the community and isn’t trying to curb their use. But he noted that there are few guidelines for local officials to follow.

“You don’t have to be 16 or have a driver’s license to ride them,” he said. “There are limited laws on it from the state…and people are using them, and are not using road-side knowledge.”

While they weren’t discussed at the meeting, there have been several recent, high-profile e-bike and scooter crashes in the city. In June of 2025, a Monroe woman was fined and sentenced to probation after initially being charged with striking a person on an electric bike with her car the previous spring.

Just last weekend, a 37-year-old Monroe man was westbound on 9th Street on an electric scooter when he failed to stop at a red light at 16th Avenue and collided with a motor vehicle. He had to be transferred to SSM Monroe Hospital by ambulance and was later cited for failure to stop at a red traffic signal.

Prior to retirement, former police chief Fred Kelley reminded residents and the city’s Public Safety Committee that e-bikes must stay within a 25-mph speed limit in town, whether they are assisted by a motor or not. They may be able to reach 30 to 35 mph going downhill for brief periods.

And, like regular bicycles, they aren’t always safe to just ride — on July 10, 2025, a 72-year-old man died after falling off an electric bicycle in the 1100 block of 30th Street on Monroe’s far south side.

Miller said the process of coming up with guidelines will likely take time, but will help address the issue.

“It’s going to take a while, right now it’s just word of mouth,” he added.

In other business, the common council moved to establish school zone and traffic control around Northside Elementary and the new high school — opening this year for its first class of students.

In a related matter, the council also adopted a resolution outlining a shared-maintenance arrangement with the Monroe Park District to keep up the local athletic fields. The measure had already been approved by the city’s Public Works Committee.