Riders on e-bikes, e-scooters and electric skateboards in Leawood will face a 15 mph speed limit on sidewalks, trails and multi-use paths starting Dec. 15.

The Leawood City Council approved the new regulations at its Monday, Nov. 2 meeting, according to a city announcement. The changes are part of the city's adoption of the 2026 Standard Traffic Ordinance for Kansas Cities and incorporate recommendations from the Mid-America Regional Council's (MARC) regional e-mobility policy workgroup.

The city had not updated its Standard Traffic Ordinance since 2023, according to the council meeting packet. Staff contact for the ordinance is Kelci Weber in the city's legal department.

What the rules require

The 15 mph cap applies to bicycles, e-bikes and micromobility devices on sidewalks, multi-use paths and trails. It does not apply to designated bike lanes or streets, where posted speed limits remain in effect.

Leawood staff chose a stricter standard than MARC recommended. The regional workgroup suggested 15 mph on sidewalks but 20 mph on bike lanes, multi-use paths and trails, according to the meeting packet. City staff preferred the lower limit across all shared paths.

Children under 16 cannot operate Class 3 e-bikes, which provide pedal assistance up to 28 mph, but they may ride as passengers on models designed to accommodate them. They also cannot operate or ride micromobility devices capable of exceeding 20 mph on motor power alone.

Riders under 18 must wear helmets on e-bikes and micromobility devices. Leawood already required helmets for minors on electric devices. The updated ordinance expands the language to cover the newly defined "micromobility devices" category, which includes e-scooters, motorized skateboards and electric unicycles. Mobility aids such as motorized wheelchairs are excluded.

Parents who authorize or knowingly allow children to violate the rules may face citations.

Other provisions

E-bikes and micromobility devices cannot carry more passengers than they are built to hold. Riders must yield to pedestrians and give an audible warning before passing.

The updated traffic code also incorporates Kansas’ prohibition on handheld mobile phone use while driving in active school zones and signed construction zones where workers are present. Hands-free use is permitted. Officers will issue warnings for violations through June 30, 2027.

Background

Leawood police responded to 151 e-bike and e-scooter calls between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, according to a Sept. 2 Bike/Walk Leawood committee agenda. Of those, 110 came during the evening shift between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.

In August, a 13-year-old boy on an electric scooter was struck by a vehicle outside Prairie Star Middle School, KSHB reported. The boy was wearing a helmet and was alert when the first officer arrived, police said in that report.

The new rules also align with the city's Safe Streets Leawood initiative, which is developing a safety action plan with funding from a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant. The city aims to adopt that plan in early 2027, according to the Safe Streets Leawood page.

The updated laws take effect Dec. 15.