Royal Oak, MI Mobility & Curb Rules: Shared E-Scooter Rules (2026)

Section 650-10, Article III of Chapter 650, defines a motorized scooter broadly, covering hoverboards, skateboards and single-wheeled skateboards along with any device without a seat that cannot exceed 30 miles per hour, and it separately defines a Segway as a self-balancing device with up to 750 watts of power and a 15-mile-per-hour top speed. Subsection B(1) prohibits operating an electric-assisted bicycle, Segway or motorized scooter on any sidewalk or pedestrian crosswalk within the 'downtown area,' which the ordinance draws as the blocks along Main Street running from Seventh Street north to Pingree Boulevard, south to Eleven Mile Road, west to Lafayette Avenue, then south to Lincoln Avenue and east to Washington Avenue back to Main Street, plus any other area the City Manager designates with a traffic control device.

Outside that no-ride zone, § 650-10B(2) and (3) still require anyone riding a bicycle, e-bike, Segway or scooter on a sidewalk or crosswalk to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and slower-moving vehicles, give an audible signal before overtaking a pedestrian, and otherwise follow the same rights and duties a pedestrian has in that space. Electric personal assistive mobility devices, such as motorized wheelchairs, are expressly carved out of the 'vehicle' definition and are not covered by the ban. Police officers and other City employees performing official duties are also exempt under § 650-10B(4).