the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, in a move aimed at improving pedestrian safety and sidewalk accessibility, the Village of Ridgewood has passed an ordinance amending Chapter 241 of the Village Code to prohibit the use of bicycles, skateboards, scooters, and micromobility devices on public sidewalks, driveways, and parking lot entrances/exits within the Central Business District (CBD).
What’s Included in the Micromobility Ban?
According to the ordinance, micromobility refers to lightweight, user-driven personal vehicles with a gross weight under 500 kilograms. These include:
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Bicycles and velomobiles
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E-bikes and electric pedal-assisted bicycles
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Electric scooters
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Electric skateboards (also called “e-boards”)
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Motorized bicycles
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Shared micromobility fleet vehicles
Notably, the ordinance does not apply to:
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Wheelchairs
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Motorized wheelchairs
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Four-wheel assistive mobility scooters
This distinction ensures accessibility for individuals with disabilities while reducing potential conflicts between pedestrians and high-speed micromobility users in high-traffic areas.
Council Action Timeline
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March 12, 2025: Ordinance introduced at Village Council meeting
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April 9, 2025: Ordinance adopted after a public hearing
Residents and business owners can view the full ordinance and complete list of prohibited devices and areas on the Village of Ridgewood official website.
Why the Ban?
With the rise of micromobility devices in urban areas, Ridgewood officials cite growing safety concerns in the CBD, where pedestrian congestion and near misses involving fast-moving scooters or e-bikes have become more common.
The new rules aim to maintain clear and safe walkways, particularly near busy storefronts, cafes, and pedestrian crossings.
What This Means for Riders
If you commute using a bike, e-scooter, or other micromobility device, you’ll now need to dismount and walk your device when entering Ridgewood’s Central Business District sidewalks or parking lot pathways.
Violations could result in fines or enforcement actions, as local authorities ramp up efforts to educate the public on the new restrictions.
Stay Informed
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And who is going to Enforce this? NOBODY!!
Agree with anonymous above. Every afternoon there are groups of middle school boys riding their bikes on the sidewalk .
This is a pointless ordinance, the over paid Police won’t enforce it, so who will? Nobody
Maybe the same people that will enforce the bird feeder ordinance
Evan and the Bee-Man will be enforcing this. The Village is bonding them a new Harley with a side-car to patrol the streets with.
Just more bull shit!
First the birdfeeders and now this. What a clown show. Kids can’t ride scooters? Has there been an issue with scooter related injuries? Any data?
What we need in this town is a FLYOVER.
You CAN allow toxic soil to be dumped without legal repercussions, but you CAN’T ride a bike or feed the deer in your backyard?
Makes sense.
If the cops aren’t allowed to approach a kid for smoking weed then I’m guessing they can’t enforce this one either. I’m not joking. The state made it illegal for them to intervene with kids for low level offenses. Juvenile reform a few years ago. Keep voting for democrats and this is what you get.