AUBURN, Wash. — The misuse of electric bikes and scooters is causing significant damage to city parks, as riders take the motorized vehicles off designated paths and across grass and open space.
The damage has been reported primarily at Lakeland Hills Park and Evergreen Park, according to Auburn police, where torn-up turf and muddy ruts have become increasingly visible over the past six months.
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“We want kids to be outside. We want kids to be on their bikes and using our parks and not being inside on video games or whatever it may be,” said Kolby Crossley, spokesperson for the Auburn Police Department. “It’s the electric motorcycles and the class 3 e-bikes that are causing the issues, the ones that have a little more power and get closer to 30 miles per hour. Those are the ones that are prohibited in the parks.”
Crossley said class 1 and class 2 e-bikes and scooters that travel below 20 miles per hour are allowed in parks.
People who live near parks where these problems are occurring said they often see middle-school aged youth riding motorized devices off designated paths, which quickly damages the trails, grass, and natural areas.
Damaging or destroying park property is a civil infraction under state law, and those who are responsible can be held financially liable for repairs.
To address the issue, the city plans to install additional signage in parks clarifying that certain larger e-bikes, electric scooters, and electric or gas-powered motorcycles are prohibited in areas where they can cause damage.
Residents near Lakeland Hills Park said the problem began late last year.
“Maybe like late October is when we really began to notice it getting torn up, and then it just got progressively worse,” said Allan Smolinski, who lives nearby.
Smolinski said his wife recently confronted two boys, about 10 and 12 years old, who were riding across the grass where motorized bikes are not allowed.
“They sort of slowed down and came by, but the answer was, ‘We don’t care,’” Smolinski said. “And my wife said, ‘You know your parents are going to be responsible for all this if you get caught,’ and they said, ‘We don’t care.’ And she said, ‘Well, the police will care.’ And they said, ‘We’ll outrun the police,’ which is pretty brazen for somebody that young.”
Smolinski said he also sees riders weaving between sidewalks and streets.
“If they are on sidewalks, they’ll shift from the sidewalk to the street, back to the sidewalk,” he said.
Another neighbor, Soe Hemmi, said she has concerns about safety as well as property damage.
“Well, I see a lot of kids riding motorbikes in this area, and it’s kind of concerning,” Hemmi said, who also sees them riding unsafely on city streets. “They are cutting right in front of me when I’m driving.”
Hemmi said groups of riders often travel together.
“It’s like 10 kids or five kids always together, running around this area,” she said. “Because I’m driving 30 miles per hour and the kids are really close to that.”
City officials are urging residents to report active damage by calling 911 so officers can respond quickly. Officials also said that, if it is safe, residents may take photos to assist with identification.
“Our parks belong to the whole community, and protecting them is a shared responsibility,” police said in a public reminder. “Please ride only where it’s allowed and help us keep Auburn’s parks beautiful for everyone.”
