State Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Pittsburgh, is pictured speaking at a recent news conference.

Warren City Council members have expressed concern about the lack of regulations regarding e-bikes in the city.

A state lawmaker wants to give city lawmakers something else to think about – an electric scooter program.

State Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Pittsburgh, is circulating a co-sponsorship memorandum for legislation that would amend state law to amend Title 75, the state law governing vehicles, to include electric low-speed scooters and apply state traffic laws governing bicycles to low-speed scooters. Robinson is basing his legislation on a scooter program begun in Pittsburgh that has resulted in nearly a million scooter trips by both city residents and tourists.

“In fact, the pilot program has been viewed as successful based on ridership citywide, including underrepresented communities that are not adequately served by public transportation,” Robinson said.

The lawmaker wants to allow cities that are Second Class, Second Class A or Third Class, which would include Warren, to authorize a low-speed scooter program. Local government approval would be required, with city governments able to create their own ordinances, policies and regulations for the safety, operation and management of low-speed scooters.

Robinson’s bill would be limited to small electric or human-powered scooters with either two or three wheels, handlebars and a floorboard.

“The low-speed scooters provide innovative, flexible and low-cost transportation to tens of millions of riders across the country,” Robinson said. “They help relieve traffic congestion, pollution and stress by reducing car trips and increasing access to public transit. Unfortunately, Pennsylvania remains one of the last states in the contiguous 48 to officially regulate a low-speed scooter as a street-legal vehicle.”

The city won’t have to worry about scooters being legal for use in Warren for a while, since Robinson’s bill has yet to be drafted. But, Robinson’s bill bears watching given issues that arose recently with the use of e-bikes on city sidewalks. Warren City Council members discussed concerns with e-bikes at a recent council meeting. While no bicycles are allowed on sidewalks downtown due to state regulations, council members expressed concern over e-bikes especially. An e-bike, defined as “a pedalcycle with electric assist that weighs less than 100 pounds and whose motor is not more than 750 watts.” It has operable pedals and is not capable of going faster than 20 mph on a level surface when powered by the motor source only.

“Individuals, as well as council members, have expressed their concerns regarding what are generally known as e-bikes on sidewalks,” said Joe Sproveri, Warren police chief. “The city is researching increased signage to make people aware of the areas where the use of these apparatuses is prohibited on sidewalks and the city will also take measures to increase public awareness.”

Further discussion on the issue is likely to come at the July City Council meeting. Further concerns were raised about the speed of the e-bikes on sidewalks, the danger to pedestrians, and the lack of licensing and age requirements. The council proposed looking at ordinances in other towns that have had similar issues to see what the potential solutions were. The city could change city ordinances, but regulations regarding licenses, registrations and helmets would require changing state law. City traffic laws can be enforced on e-bike users.