Council Committee Recommends Adoption of an Ordinance That Hasn't Been Written
Committee Recommends Wholesale Changes to Chapter 375 of the Codified Ordinances
On Monday, the City of Troy's Law and Ordinance Committee met to discuss a significant update to the city's regulations concerning bikeways, specifically making wholesale amendments of Chapter 375 of the City’s Code of Ordnances. The twelve minute meeting provided some opportunities for dialouge about these changes, which was made at the request of the Engineering Department.
It should be noted that this publication recently previewed this meeting in this edition of our newsletter:
The committee discussed amending the existing bikeway ordinance to accommodate new types of electric bikes (e-bikes) and micro-mobility devices. This amendment aims to streamline the city's regulations by giving more authority to the Director of Public Service and Safety to create bike lanes, shared used paths and to determine which types of low-speed mobility devices and e-bikes can be used on the paths.
Allowing the Public and Service Director to maintain a list of approved bike lanes and shared use paths could lead to more efficient project implementation. More than likely, the ordinance will also give full authority to the Director of Public Service and Safety to determine what kind of electric bikes and micro-mobility devices are allowed on the shared-use paths.
This raises questions about oversight and the balance of power between the city council and administrative offices. Ensuring that there is still adequate review and community input into these decisions is crucial for maintaining transparency and accountability.
The discussion also highlighted safety concerns related to the increasing speeds of e-bikes and the potential for conflicts on shared paths. While the city does not currently have specific plans to regulate speeds on these paths, this issue underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to safety that might include signage, education, and possibly enforcement measures to manage the interaction between different types of users.
Perhaps the biggest challenge that this recommendation revealed is that there is currently no draft of the ordinance being considered. The entire discussion about recommending approval of an ordinance to council missed the most critical ingredient — the ordinance itself.
This ordinance will most likely be released this Friday when the agenda is released to the council and the general public. At that point, a more robust discussion should take place to see exactly what authorities the city administration is attempting to wrestle away from the city council.
The City of Troy's Law and Ordinance Committee's discussion on bikeway regulations reflects a proactive approach to urban planning and mobility. By adapting to new technologies and seeking to streamline administrative processes, the city is positioning itself to better meet the needs of its residents. However, careful consideration of safety, oversight, and community engagement remains essential to ensure these updates effectively enhance the city's quality of life.
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As a bike rider, I feel that it is extremely dangerous to have powered bikes/skateboards/scooters, etc. on our bike paths. This puts not only walkers in danger, but also cyclists. Those that ride these turns to be younger and not as observant and respectful to others…this can be easily noted by simply watching those who operate these do so on a city sidewalk. The city needs to place a ban on anything powered on the bike paths to avoid what will end up causing accidents and or injuries.