Bloomfield Hills Schools will take up proposed e-bike and e-moto rules at the Board of Education's Sept. 28 meeting at 6 p.m. at the Booth Center, 7273 Wing Lake Road.

The board held a special meeting Sept. 11 to discuss a policy covering e-bikes, e-motos, electric scooters and motorized mobility devices on district property, according to a staff recap posted by the district. The recap did not detail what the board discussed or how individual members weighed in.

The district's policy discussion comes as communities across the Bloomfield area adopt new restrictions on electric-powered rides. As we reported Sept. 15, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees enacted a six-month moratorium Sept. 14 banning e-bikes and e-scooters on sidewalks and township property for anyone under 16. Under that moratorium, devices ridden by underage riders will be confiscated and returned to a parent or guardian.

That township ban already reaches school campuses. Effective Sept. 17, any e-moto, e-bike or e-scooter found on Bloomfield Hills Schools grounds will be confiscated for riders who fall under the township's ban, according to district communications. Parents must pick up the device at their student's school.

The push for rules followed a Sept. 7 crash in Bloomfield Township. Two 13-year-old boys were riding together on an e-moto along the Hickory Grove Road sidewalk when a Ford F-150 struck them at Telegraph Road, The Detroit News reported. Both were hospitalized in critical condition.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told FOX 2 Detroit on Sept. 8 that confusion over Michigan's e-bike classifications is part of the problem. "…so many parents think they're buying something because they think it's fun and easy to get around, but they don't realize the torque and speed capabilities, even the laws that apply," Bouchard said.

Neighboring Beverly Hills is also moving. As we reported Sept. 12, the Village Council held a public hearing Sept. 15 on a proposed ordinance that would bar Class 3 e-bikes, e-motos and e-skateboards from sidewalks, bike paths and parks, and require helmets for riders under 19, as WXYZ reported.

At the state level, Sen. Jim Runestad introduced Senate Bill 1156, which would ban children under 14 from operating e-bikes on public sidewalks, roads and trails. Riders 14 through 17 would need written parental permission and a helmet.