Overland Park bans high-speed e-bikes for kids under 16

OVERLAND Park, Kan. (KCTV) - The Overland Park City Council voted 11-0 to ban children under 16 from riding Class 3 high-speed e-bikes.

Riders 16 and older can ride the bikes on streets with speed limits higher than 35 miles per hour. The new ordinance also makes it illegal to jailbreak bikes to increase their speed.

Catherine Baskett’s daughter rides an e-scooter to school every day. Baskett said the company notified her when her daughter violated their rules.

“When my daughter isn’t abiding by our rules, they let us know. Which did happen one time and she got in trouble,” Baskett said.

Councilman Gregg Riess, chair of public safety for the city, said parents and students are aware of the rules but choose to break them.

“It seems like to me parents do know what is allowed and also, the students know what is allowed. What they’re doing in my perspective is they’re aware of the rules, they’re breaking them and they’re comfortable with that,” Riess said.

Citations are now part of enforcement, Riess said. He said officers will take a measured approach, focusing on dangerous behavior.

“Riding wheelies down Quivera, here, I think that’s where you’re gonna see the citations. You’re gonna see a much more measured approach,” Riess said.

The city said the ordinance balances kids’ safety with their independence. Baskett said families need to pay attention as enforcement begins.

“There’s kind of this conundrum that’s going of which way do you go with this. With that said, I don’t think kids are being taught ‘hey, yes you’ve got this respect it.’ You’re not some motorcycle gang that’s out there running the streets,” Baskett said.