‘A safety issue’: Bellevue passes ordinance for off-road recreational vehicles

The ordinance goes into effect Aug. 5. Off-road recreational vehicles will still be allowed on private property.

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‘A safety issue’: Bellevue passes new ordinance for off-road recreational vehicles

BELLEVUE, Neb. —

Bellevue is cracking down on off-road recreational vehicles. The city council recently passed an ordinance that limits where you can ride them and what’s allowed on public property.

The ordinance goes into effect Aug. 5. But state laws will be enforced until then.

Bellevue police say violating it could result in a citation. Parents who knowingly allow their kid to operate an off-road recreational vehicle on public property could also be cited.

Off-road recreational vehicles will still be allowed on private property.

As e-bikes, e-scooters and off-road recreational vehicles become more popular, the city of Bellevue is enforcing state guidelines and creating some of its own.

“We just want to make sure everybody knows what’s legal and what’s not legal,” Mayor Rusty Hike said. “It’s an ordinance that we had to come up with to get some safety out on the streets.”

That ordinance has Hike’s support.

Here’s what is allowed on the roads:

Street legal vehicles and motorcycles
Mopeds that are legal under Nebraska law
E-bikes that are Class I, II or III
Traditional bicycles

“We’re reinforcing the state laws, and there’s a couple tweaks,” Hike said.

So, what is the difference between state law and Bellevue’s ordinance? Under the ordinance, personal mobility devices like e-scooters cannot be ridden on roads.

It also expands the type of off-road vehicles that are prohibited on any city roads. For example, golf carts and ATVs aren’t restricted under state law, but they are with Bellevue’s new rules.

The ordinance also does not allow off-road vehicles on any public property like trails and parks. State law does not address that but leaves it up to local governments.

“I understand kids wanting to have their little e-motorcycles, but when you’re mixing it with cars, I’m also the last person to… I don’t want to hurt a kid. So, somebody’s zipping across an intersection not paying attention, I don’t want to be the person that hits that person. So that’s a safety issue,” Hike said.

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