Everett restricts motor scooters

EVERETT – Motor scooters will no longer be allowed on Everett streets at night, and also will be barred from sidewalks and many busy thoroughfares.

The Everett City Council’s 6-1 approval on Wednesday of restrictions on scooters came a day after Lynnwood enacted a similar ordinance.

An early version of Everett’s ordinance allowed night riding as long as reflectors were used. Councilwoman Marian Krell on Wednesday proposed an amendment to require headlights.

But Councilman Doug Campbell said any type of nighttime scooter riding is dangerous.

“They are almost invisible except for the noise,” he said.

And a headlight requirement could be hard to enforce, Campbell said. “I think our police officers have enough to do than running around trying to decipher whether a scooter’s lit properly,” he said.

In response to resident complaints about deafening noise, the ordinance requires dealers to install mufflers on scooters. The new law bars scooters from traveling over 15 mph and prohibits them from any street with a speed limit of more than 25 mph – unless they’re traveling in a bicycle lane.

Only those 16 and older will be able to ride scooters. If police confiscate a scooter ridden by anyone under 16, the parent or guardian would have to pay $50 to get it back.

Councilman Mark Olson voted against the ordinance. He argued that electric scooters, which travel a maximum of 15 mph and are not noisy, should be taken out of the new law. But Krell said those scooters can be as dangerous as the motorized ones.

The ordinance includes restrictions on mini-motorcycles, which are small motorized bikes that are low to the ground. Several council members said they want to go further and totally ban mini-motorcycles from Everett.

“They’re so low to the ground as to cause a significant safety hazard for other motorists,” Olson said. “The chances of not being seen by other motorists is very high.”

Reporter David Olson: 425-339-3452 or dolson@heraldnet.com.