Fort Mitchell residents could face new speed limits and restrictions for e-bikes on city sidewalks after the council introduced a revised ordinance Monday, Sept. 14.

Ordinance 2026-13, listed for a first reading on the meeting agenda, would amend Chapter 73 of the city code to regulate electric bicycles and other devices on sidewalks. The 6:30 p.m. meeting was held at 2355 Dixie Highway.

The new ordinance number replaces an earlier draft, Ordinance 2026-12, which went through its own first reading Aug. 18 and a second reading around Sept. 1. That earlier version would have banned Class 3 e-bikes, which top out at 28 mph, from all city sidewalks. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, capped at 20 mph, would have been limited to 15 mph on sidewalks. Riders under 18 would have been required to wear helmets, and headlamps and rear lights would have been required from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise.

During the second reading around Sept. 1, Mayor Greg Pohlgeers proposed tightening the rules. He called for lowering the sidewalk speed limit for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes from 15 mph to 10 mph, requiring riders to walk their bikes during school arrival and dismissal times, and allowing fines or possible confiscation for repeated dangerous behavior, according to LINK nky's Sept. 3 report.

Whether Ordinance 2026-13 incorporates all of those proposed changes is not yet clear. The full text of the revised ordinance was not publicly available as of Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The push to regulate e-bikes has drawn strong reactions from residents. At the Aug. 18 first reading, Fort Mitchell resident Terry Honebrink described near-miss encounters with fast-moving e-bikes on Dixie Highway sidewalks, according to the NKY Tribune.

Pohlgeers has framed the effort as a safety measure, not a ban. Kentucky state law classifies e-bikes as bicycles, meaning cities cannot prohibit them outright, WCPO reported.

"I see these kids riding to school. I see them riding to practice and other activities … I like that aspect of it; I really do, but if they're going to continue to do it, they have to do it in a safe manner," Pohlgeers said Aug. 17, when he shared Fort Mitchell's draft regulations with other Kenton County mayors.

Fort Mitchell is not alone. Alexandria, Fort Thomas, Florence, Union, Ludlow and Silver Grove were also working on e-bike regulations as of September, according to LINK nky.

The council's next two meetings are scheduled for Oct. 12 and Nov. 9, both at 6:30 p.m.