A proposed 15-mph speed limit on portions of the Oak Leaf Trail and other Milwaukee County trails has come to a sudden halt.
In an email newsletter last Friday, Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman said he had “decided to put a stop” to the speed limit proposal. “The proposal generated significant discussion, particularly about whether a broad speed limit would appropriately address the underlying safety concerns,” Wasserman wrote.
“Based on the feedback I’ve received,” he continued, “I’ve decided to put a stop to the proposed legislation so we can reassess the issue and work toward a more targeted solution.”
Milwaukee County Parks originally floated the proposal back in September. The 15-mph speed limit was meant to address the growing use of e-bikes, electric scooters, and faster “e-motos” on the Oak Leaf Trail and other County trails.
“We’ve developed a trail system that is, in some cases, eight to ten feet wide, built for bicycles, built for walkers. But now we’re seeing speeds that exceed what can safely travel on the trails,” WISN 12 quoted Parks deputy director James Tarantino as saying in September.
In his Friday email newsletter, Wasserman explained the problem with creating a one-size-fits-all speed limit for electric vehicles.
“One of the challenges that became increasingly clear through this discussion is that not every electric device using our trails is the same,” Wasserman wrote. “Wisconsin law establishes classifications for legal e-bikes and electric scooters, while higher-powered devices commonly referred to as ‘e-motos’ or out-of-class electric vehicles fall outside those classifications. These devices travel at considerably higher speed and present a very dangerous safety concern.
“Rather than moving forward with a policy that could unnecessarily impact responsible trail users,” he continued, “I believe we need to focus more directly on the underlying safety concern: unauthorized high-speed e-motos that should not be operating on these trails in the first place. I will be working towards a more targeted approach specifically addressing these vehicles.”
The Wisconsin Bike Federation had previously raised concerns about a trail-wide speed limit.
Want to weigh in on the issue of a speed limit on County trails? Of course you do. Check out Wasserman’s public survey HERE. It will be available until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, October 6.
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