Watertown City Council Revises Downtown Bike, E-Bike and Scooter Ordinance to Create Walk Zones
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council reviewed a revised version of Ordinance No. 26-30 on Monday night, shifting from a broad downtown riding ban to a targeted strategy aimed at regulating bicycles, e-bikes, and scooters in heavily trafficked pedestrian areas.
The ordinance updates Chapter 7 of Title 19 in the Revised Ordinances of Watertown, which covers bicycles and personal conveyances. Presented as a “second first reading” following feedback on a draft introduced earlier this month, the revised language eliminates a blanket prohibition across the entire downtown business district in favor of designated, sign-posted “walk zones”.
Moving Away from Blanket Downtown Bans
Under the city’s original municipal code draft, non-pedestrian conveyances would have been banned on sidewalks across the entire downtown commercial core, including First Avenue North and First Avenue South.
Assistant Police Chief Ryan Remmers explained that after consultations with City Manager Alan Stager and city council members, officials decided a blanket restriction was unnecessary.
“The feedback that we got was that we don’t necessarily have a known problem with wheeled vehicles on First Avenue South, First Avenue North,” Remmers told the council. “So what we did is we changed the language a little bit here to go away from that business district language and just include where signs or other notices say that you cannot ride them. That gives us the flexibility to change without having to change the ordinance.”
Rather than altering city code whenever restrictions need adjustment, proposed “walk-your-bike” zones will be evaluated by the city’s Traffic Safety Committee—a staff panel comprising the City Manager, Police Department, Street Division, and City Engineer’s Office that meets quarterly to address traffic, parking, and pedestrian concerns.
Remmers noted that initial staff focus is centered narrowly on the city’s most pedestrian-dense corridor: Kemp Avenue, extending west from Foundation Plaza (3rd Street) to Broadway.
Mayor Ried Holien praised the tailored strategy, contrasting it with earlier proposals.
“I like the flexibility that this proposed ordinance has,” Holien said. “The one concern that I had with the old one was it seemed like so broad with the entire downtown district, but this seems to me much more appropriate. You’re using a scalpel to cut out the problem area instead of a broadsword.”
Council Debate: Vetting, Enforcement, and Consistency
Council members broadly supported the flexible approach while raising questions regarding implementation, geographic boundaries, and neighborhood consistency.
Councilman Dan Schutte emphasized the importance of vetting specific street blocks through the committee rather than rushing into restrictions. Schutte pointed out that downtown amenities like Foundation Plaza are meant to attract visitors, including cyclists.
“We put that park downtown, and it’s going to draw bicyclists,” Schutte said. “Is the issue more in front of certain businesses with pedestrians... coming in and out of their businesses? Having our committee work on it, I look forward to what we come up with.”
Addressing concerns raised by Councilman Kyle Peters regarding potential “checkerboarding” of rules across different neighborhoods, City Manager Alan Stager reassured the council that traffic rules are reviewed holistically.
“The traffic system wouldn’t flow appropriately if we had the checkerboard—neighborhood A versus neighborhood B,” Stager said. “We do take changes very seriously, and even reversing changes we consider very carefully... I wouldn’t anticipate ever having a checkerboard type of system in place here.”
Responding to questions from Councilman Doug Allen regarding the extensive list of covered personal conveyances—which spans skateboards, e-bikes, and scooters—Remmers clarified that updates were primarily technical, such as replacing brand-name terms like “rollerblades” with generic terminology like “in-line roller skates”.
Remmers emphasized that the department’s goal is voluntary compliance rather than issuing tickets.
“We don’t want to be writing tickets to people for riding their bicycle or their scooter,” Remmers said. “We feel that if you were to prominently display signage... passersby on the road would give somebody a sideways look, and before long they would hop off and just comply out of respect for everybody around them.”
Key Updates in Ordinance No. 26-30
Beyond sidewalk regulations, Ordinance No. 26-30 modernizes several sections of municipal traffic code:
· Mobility Device Exemptions: Explicitly clarifies that wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, and mobility scooters used by individuals with disabilities are not classified as personal conveyances and are exempt from sidewalk riding restrictions.
· Careless Operation & Right-of-Way: Prohibits operating any personal conveyance recklessly or at speeds unreasonable for conditions. Operators must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians at all times.
· Riding Rules: Limits riding to no more than two abreast on public roadways and prohibits “hitching” rides by attaching conveyances to moving motor vehicles.
· Lighting Requirements: Requires a front headlight visible from 300 feet and a rear reflector or lamp visible from 200 feet when operating between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.
What’s Next
Because the revised draft contained structural changes, Monday’s presentation served as a new first reading. Ordinance No. 26-30 will return before the City Council for a second reading and final adoption vote at an upcoming meeting.
