Everett May Allow Motorized Scooters On Sidewalks, Remove Helmet Requirement

On Wednesday the Everett City Council will get a look at proposed new rules covering motorized scooters. Last year the City allowed a pilot program that put hundreds of scooters on city streets. The scooters went away for the winter but now are coming back.

According to the briefing papers sent to city council, the proposed rules will align motorized scooters more with bicycle regulations than motorized vehicles while also considering State law on the scooters. There are a couple of significant departures from the city’s current motorized scooter ordinance.

Motorized scooters would be allowed on city sidewalks except in the Central Business District according to the proposed ordinance.

The scooters would also be allowed at night as long as they had lights on the front and rear but would be prohibited between the hours of midnight and five a.m.

The minimum age to operate the scooters would be 16 years old.

The helmet requirement would be dropped.

The scooters would not be allowed on city streets where the speed limit is above thirty miles an hour unless they are being operated within a bike lane.

The city council will get a briefing this Wednesday at 6:30 PM.