Everett police have towed or seized 225 scooters, mopeds, mini bikes and e-bikes since January and have responded to 86 crashes involving them, Sergeant Joseph Gaff of the traffic division told the City Council’s Government Operations committee on Monday, September 28. By the end of the night, two councilors were pushing to raise the city’s $100 fine to $500.
“We’re not gonna have our guys go chase electric scooters”
Gaff said the city’s ordinance dates to September 2004 and was written for gas engines measured in cubic centimeters. It says nothing about electric bikes. “There’s no rules right now for the electric bikes,” Ward 6 Councilor Peter Pietrantonio said. “Nothing,” Gaff answered.
Police will not chase riders, Gaff said, because a crash during a pursuit over a scooter would be indefensible. Instead, officers go after the machines when they are parked: no plate, no sticker, no registration, and the scooter gets hooked. One officer, Goncalves, has towed at least 50 himself. Officers also photograph groups of riders and hand the pictures to school resource officers, who often know who they are. The Flock license plate camera network is used to trace where groups come from, he said, with a case number required to search it.
Seized machines sit at Queally’s tow yard for 120 days, because most have the VIN ground off and cannot be traced. Gaff said he would like to film a public service announcement of the pile being crushed. About 94 percent of the delivery-style scooters on the road are now registered, he said, partly because the food delivery companies require it.
A new state law expected in January would classify the machines by speed rather than engine size and require registration. Gaff asked the committee to wait for it. He also wants the state to regulate where scooters are sold, so that mini markets on Route 99 cannot sell them without explaining registration and insurance.
The fine
Ward 1 Councilor Michele Capone, who said she watches riders in masks pop wheelies down Broadway from her porch, asked whether the $100 fine could go to $500. Assistant City Solicitor Mark Assad said surrounding cities are much more lenient; Boston does not fine until a third offense, and then only $25 to $50. Gaff said he would support whatever the committee chose but doubted the city would ever collect: the tickets go to court, not to the Registry of Motor Vehicles, so unpaid fines do not block a registration.
Pietrantonio moved to bring a $500 amendment to the next regular council meeting. Committee chair Holly Garcia, who said an adult on an e-scooter sideswiped her car while texting, agreed. Gaff confirmed that motorized vehicles do not belong in bike lanes, on sidewalks or on the Northern Strand trail, and that parking enforcement officers can tag and tow a plated scooter on a sidewalk but must call police for an unregistered one.
Plastic utensils: enrolled 6-5
At the regular meeting that followed, Councilor Katy Rogers’ ordinance to make plastic utensils and packaged condiments available only on request in takeout orders was enrolled 6-5. It is not a ban, Rogers said; it changes the default so forks do not go in every bag. Sam Lambert of the Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter said 12 Massachusetts cities and towns have adopted similar rules and seen about 75 percent less plastic takeout waste.
Council President Stephanie Smith voted no, saying she would not add another ordinance the city cannot enforce. Capone, Garcia, Marchese and Pietrantonio also voted no. The ordinance was due for a final vote, called ordainment, at the next meeting.
Basketball players honored
Smith and Pietrantonio presented citations to seven Everett High School Crimson Tide basketball players who, after a football game, stopped traffic on the parkway and pushed a stranded resident’s car to safety: Kevin Ordonez Sabonge, Jaden Alsaindor, Emmanuel Nelson, Nate Nelson, Emmanuel Lerbot, Raul Guimaraes and Geraldo Cubais Sabonge, as the names were read into the record.
Also
- Council meetings are now streamed on YouTube rather than Facebook, Smith announced.
- A $237,000 request for a new front-end loader for the Department of Public Works went to the Ways and Means committee.
- The city solicitor asked for more time on the tax title payment agreement ordinance, and the Legislative Affairs committee granted it.
- On a resolution by Councilor Michael Marchese, the council declared October Italian Heritage Month in Everett.
The full meeting transcript and video are available through the city’s Munitrac page.
