An update on micromobility regulation

Subject: 2026 Update on Micromobility

In Awaiting Report 2024 #06 the City Council asked City staff to determine what authority the City has to regulate micromobility devices, such as motorized scooters, skateboards, and others on bike paths, bikeways, trails, and public ways. The City Manager responded via CMA 2024 #67, which the Council further discussed in the Transportation Committee meeting on June 25, 2024. The conclusions reached by the City and the Council were that municipalities had some authority to regulate e-mobility devices on certain types of public ways. Still, the issue is largely within the purview of state authority, and state laws are confusing and, in some areas, even conflicting.

MassDOT recently published the final report of its Special Commission on Micromobility, which it formed to study and make recommendations, including: a review of current state and local laws and regulations for micromobility vehicles recommendations to regulate micromobility vehicles, including on bike paths, sidewalks, and shared use paths recommendations to support the expansion of micromobility vehicle use and innovation including shared micromobility options for municipalities In addition to discussing the status of micromobility in the US and Massachusetts, the report describes current Massachusetts regulations, requirements, and challenges.

The Commission recommends 16 actions for the legislature, MassDOT, and several other entities to take to respond to the increasing use of micromobility in Massachusetts:

Legislative and Regulatory Changes

Speed-Based Classification Schema

Micro ID

Safety and Enforcement

Police Training

Crash Report and Vulnerable User Data

Default Maximum Speed on Paths

Education Campaign

Automated Enforcement

Model Municipal Traffic Control

Ordinance Infrastructure

Design Guidance

Mobility Integration

Funding for Upgrades

Growth

Expand Bikeshare

Fund More E-Bike Subsidies

Commercial Use Micromobility Study

Presumed Liability Study

We respectfully transmit the attached “Special Commission on Micromobility Report“ and request that the Transportation and Public Utilities Committee hold a hearing in which to discuss the report, current actions the City is taking, and next steps for micromobility in Cambridge.