Seattle City Council restricts use of motor scooters

By Matthew Rodriguez
Seattle Times staff reporter

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The measure allows electric scooters, but not faster gas-powered scooters, to be ridden on city sidewalks.

The bill also requires gas-scooter riders to be at least 16 years old and for their scooters to be equipped with mufflers.

Motorized foot scooters, as defined by the bill, have handlebars, and wheels that are smaller than 10 inches in diameter.

Mike Kristofferson, owner of the MotorManMike Electric Scooter Repair shop in Fremont, said he was pleased with the legislation. Kristofferson, who rode an electric scooter to the council meeting, said the bill makes an important distinction between gas and electric foot scooters.

"When the ordinance was first drafted, it lumped electric and gas scooters together," Kristofferson said. "Electric scooters are different."

Councilman Richard Conlin, who sponsored the bill, said the measure aims to protect pedestrians, neighborhoods and riders of motorized foot scooters.

He said the bill "primarily stemmed from concerns over the gas-powered [foot] scooters. They've been very problematic for people."

At Conlin's request, the council added two features to the measure yesterday: One prohibits riders from carrying passengers on scooters, and another requires riders to wear bicycle helmets.

Though he voted for the bill, Councilman Tom Rasmussen said electric scooters and Segway vehicles should be allowed on playgrounds when school is out, to give children a place to practice.

"If a child can ride a bicycle around a schoolyard," Kristofferson said, "they should be allowed to ride an electric scooter."
 
The ban on motorized scooters in schoolyards remained in the bill as passed by the council.

The bill was backed by Mayor Greg Nickels. "We're pleased to see the legislation pass because it helps promote public safety," said Nickels' spokesman Casey Corr. "We haven't seen all of the amendments, so we'll have to reserve final comment until we see the legislation in its entirety."

Matthew Rodriguez: 206-464-3192 or mrodriguez@seattletimes.com