Middletown police shift from scooter warnings to traffic enforcement

More motorized scooters are showing up on Middletown streets, and Police Chief John Ewanciw says the department is done relying on handouts and informal stops to slow them down.

“With the warmer weather upon us, we are seeing more and more motorized scooters on roads and they are causing a hazard to both their operators and the general public,” Ewanciw said, signaling a tougher approach from the Middletown Police Department.

The change matters because officers have already tried education first. They gave informational stops and handed out material explaining the rules, but Ewanciw said that approach did not produce the behavior change police wanted. Now, riders should expect more stops and more scrutiny, with tickets likely when scooters are being used in unsafe or unlawful ways. The department’s message is that scooter riders are not exempt from normal traffic law.

That message lines up with New York law. State rules say electric-scooter riders on roadways have the same rights and duties as drivers and bicyclists, while cities, towns and villages can further regulate the time, place and manner of operation. The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles says e-scooters may be operated on highways with posted speed limits of 30 mph or less, and they generally cannot be used on sidewalks unless local law allows it.

State law also sets limits that could put younger riders in particular jeopardy if they ignore the rules. No person under 16 may operate or ride as a passenger on an electric scooter, and no rider may operate one in excess of 15 mph. The DMV also says the devices are limited to 20 mph on a paved, level surface when powered solely by the motor.

The crackdown comes as warm weather has put more riders back on the road across New York. The New York State Police issued a safety reminder on April 30 about e-bikes, e-scooters and off-road electric motorcycles, and lawmakers in Albany are still weighing broader scooter regulation. Senate Bill S1243, sponsored by Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., would create a statewide framework covering registration, safety and equipment standards, unsafe-operation prohibitions and insurance requirements.

For Middletown, the immediate shift is more local than legislative. Police are moving from warnings to enforcement on city streets, and riders who treat scooters like they are outside traffic law may now find out otherwise the hard way.