MARSHFIELD, WI (OnFocus) – Marshfield officials say existing Wisconsin law leaves cities with limited authority to regulate e-bikes, but the Common Council has begun updating its bicycle ordinance as a foundation for addressing growing concerns about electric bicycles and scooters.
Police Chief Jody Geurink and City Attorney Harold Wolfgram opened Tuesday’s meeting discussion with a presentation explaining how state law classifies e-bikes. The staff update was listed on the council agenda ahead of consideration of a revised bicycle ordinance.
Geurink told council members Wisconsin recognizes several classes of e-bikes, with Classes 1 through 3 generally treated the same as traditional bicycles under state law. As a result, riders may generally use streets and bike paths where bicycles are allowed.
Wolfgram said state preemption significantly limits what municipalities can regulate.
“You can’t start doing something completely different,” he said, explaining that many issues residents complain about, including reckless riding, are already covered by existing traffic laws rather than requiring new e-bike regulations.
Officials said complaints often involve excessive speed or unsafe operation, but Geurink noted enforcement typically depends on whether an officer can show a rider was operating at an unsafe or imprudent speed under existing law.
Later in the meeting, the council held the first reading of Ordinance No. 1546, which updates Marshfield’s bicycle ordinance to better align with current Wisconsin statutes. The proposal was developed over more than a year through the Parks and Recreation Committee, Police Department and city legal staff before reaching the council.
Tompkins, who presented the ordinance, said the measure is intended primarily to modernize outdated language and provide clearer guidance for cyclists and police officers.
“This ordinance will be a really good foundation for that e-bike discussion,” she said.
Council members requested additional background before the ordinance returns later this month.
District 10 Ald. Andrew Reigel asked for a redlined copy showing the proposed changes, Wolfgram’s legal opinion, and the applicable Wisconsin statutes so council members can compare the city’s ordinance with state law.
District 7 Ald. Brian Giles questioned language prohibiting bicyclists from traveling faster than is “reasonable and proper” for traffic conditions, while Feirer raised concerns about electric scooters and other motorized devices that are becoming more common on city streets.
Wolfgram said rapidly evolving technology has outpaced municipal regulations, making it difficult to craft ordinances that address every type of electric scooter or skateboard while remaining legally defensible.
Tompkins said one possible revision before the ordinance’s second reading would restore a longstanding prohibition on bicycles along a portion of Central Avenue in the downtown shopping district, a restriction the Police Department supports for pedestrian safety.
Because the measure received only its first reading Tuesday, no final action was taken. The ordinance is scheduled to return to the Common Council on July 28.
Author: News Desk
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