Overland Park plans to permanently allow e-mobility devices, like e-bikes and electric scooters, on its city trails. 

On Monday, the Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee voted 4-0 to recommend approval of the new ordinance and the repeal of an existing one prohibiting motorized devices and vehicles on trails.

“To me, this kind of seems like something that’s coming to us whether we like it or not,” Councilmember Logan Heley, who chairs the committee, said. “They’re probably going to use the trails whether we say it’s OK or not.” 

Former Councilmembers Scott Hamblin and Fred Spears previously sat on this committee, but their terms have expired and the mayor has yet to fill their seats on the committee.

Overland Park had a pilot allowing such devices on trails

The proposed ordinance formalizes two pilot programs that allowed e-bikes and scooters on city bike and hiking trails. 

The initial pilot program, which started in 2020, permitted some e-bikes on Overland Park trails. About a year and a half later, the city expanded the pilot to include more types of e-bikes and scooters. 

Mike Burton, park project coordinator for Overland Park, told the committee this week that allowing e-bikes and scooters on the trails was met with mixed reviews from the community, though the feedback leaned positive overall. 

“Most of the positive [response] was from the exercise and the equity they get from the trail system with the senior citizens being able to use these devices on the trails to get exercise,” Burton said. 

The pilot program permitting such devices on city trails technically expired at the end of November. 

The new rules of the trails

• The proposed rules allow personal electric scooters and most e-bikes, as well as some that have a motor that is throttle assisted when a user is actively pedaling. 
• The devices are prohibited from traveling faster than 20 miles per hour, which is the speed limit posted on the trails. 
• Additionally, other motor vehicles, including those powered by fuel, are still not permitted, unless otherwise authorized by the director of parks and recreation. 

Looking ahead:

• The ordinance change requires approval from the Overland Park City Council. 
• As such, the city council is expected to vote at its next regular meeting, currently scheduled for Dec. 18. 
• Additionally, Overland Park is also continuing discussions about whether to enter into a new pilot program with another vendor to offer e-bikes and scooters for rent after Bird abruptly pulled out of the city earlier this year.

More Overland Park e-scooter and e-bike news: Overland Park weighs new scooter pilot after Bird’s abrupt departure