It is now illegal to ride electric scooters and electric bikes in parks and on sidewalks in Barrington. 

At their meeting on Oct. 5, members of the Barrington Town Council voted unanimously to amend local ordinances 134-14 and 134-15. Those ordinances had previously restricted people from riding motorcycles and motor-bikes on sidewalks and on certain town property, such as ballfields. 

The amended ordinances now include language that groups electric scooters and electric bikes with the other vehicles. 

Barrington Assistant Solicitor Amy Goins shared a written explanation in the Oct. 5 council packet: “The proposed ordinance is an amendment to an existing ordinance that prohibits motor bikes on public property. The amendment would explicitly add e-bikes and e-scooters to this prohibition. It applies wherever the Police Department is presently enforcing this ordinance as to motorcycles - that includes property like parks and parking lots and it would also include sidewalks. 

“Motorcycles can of course be operated on roadways if the operator is licensed and the motorcycle is properly registered, but people can't ride them on sidewalks and can't ride them around the baseball field. This would apply that same rule to e-scooters and e-bikes.”

Barrington Town Council President Braxton Cloutier introduced the ordinance amendments during the Oct. 5 meeting. The other councilors present — Kerry O’Neill and Liana Cassar — did not share any additional comments during the discussion. Jordan Jancosek was not present at the Oct. 5 meeting. 

Cloutier also opened the discussion to public comments, but no one at the meeting showed any interest in speaking on the item. 

Cloutier then made a motion to approve the ordinance amendment. Cassar seconded the motion, which passed by a 3-0 vote. 

Following is the specific language of the two ordinances, prior to the council vote:

“134-14 — No person shall operate any motorcycle, motor scooter, motor bike, minibike or go-cart, so-called, in or upon any public property of the Town of Barrington, except in such areas thereof as may be designated by the Town Council; provided, however, that nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to prohibit the operation of such motor vehicles as may be duly registered in accordance with state law along any roadway between a public highway and the designated parking area for such public property for the purpose of parking such motor vehicle or returning to such public way.”

“134-15 — The Town Council of the Town of Barrington may from time to time designate paths or roadways within such public property for the use of motorcycles, motor scooters, motor bikes, minibikes or go-carts or any of said vehicles.”