A new city committee made up of city officials, students and community members met for the first time Monday to begin creating an effective system to regulate moped parking in Madison.
The committee will specify rules for mopeds as part of the city’s response to a new state law that gives local government the ability to determine moped regulations. The city has decided to implement new laws for mopeds because of the safety threat they can pose to pedestrians and cyclists.
“We want to make sure we have accessibility for pedestrians and especially for people that have mobility issues,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said.
Before the new state law passed, bikes and mopeds were allowed to park in the same areas, which led to overcrowding of campus areas, according to Verveer.
City regulations will largely mirror changes in campus rules for mopeds, such as issuing fewer moped parking permits and limiting available parking spaces. These changes will go into effect Sept. 1.
The new city regulations will also reduce the number of permits and parking spots available to students. When the regulations first go into effect, law enforcement will focus on educating students about the new laws rather than ticketing them.
