ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Junior Perez poses with his scooter on Munroe Street in Lynn.
BY GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — Police and city officials are trying to figure out how to regulate motorized bikes.
“The Lynn Police Department has received several complaints about scooters, mopeds and motorcycles driving erratically through the city,” Lynn Police Lt. Rick Donnelly said in a statement. “Police urge drivers to follow the rules of the road and avoid becoming the victim of an accident.”
Motorized scooters cannot be driven on any public way or sidewalk. Police define a motorized scooter as a “two-wheeled tandem or three-wheeled device that has handlebars, designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator, powered by an electric or gas-powered motor that is capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion.” This also extends to “mini motorcycles” and “pocket bikes.”
A violation of the ordinance could result in a $100 fine and seizure of the vehicle, Donnelly said.
Motorcycles must be insured, registered and inspected annually. A motorcycle learner’s permit or license is required. While mopeds do not have to be insured or inspected, they must be registered biannually and have a decal showing the registration. A learner’s permit or driver’s license is required, Donnelly said.
Last week, Police Chief Kevin Coppinger met with the Public Safety and Public Health Committee to discuss the ordinance and how it could be enforced.
City Councilor Darren Cyr said bikes and mopeds are becoming a problem. There’s a lot of teenagers that are out riding them, with their parents’ encouragement, he added.
“It’s becoming a mess on the roadways,” Cyr said. “It’s becoming a public safety issue.”
Coppinger said enforcement is difficult because people on the motor bikes fail to stop for police and weave in and out of traffic. He said police don’t pursue them for safety reasons, as a chase could result in accidents.
He didn’t present a solution to officials he met, which included Cyr and city councilors Buzzy Barton and Brian LaPierre. People are getting killed by dirtbikes, he added.
“We can do the enforcement, but we can’t stop them,” Coppinger said. “The kids know it.”
Junior Perez, 22, of Lynn rides his motorized bike around and doesn’t see the issue.
“It’s not a problem,” he said.
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley.