Mo-ped use increasing in East Iowa

After humming into downtown Iowa City on her mo-ped Friday, Taylor Schafbuch zipped into the Clinton Street ramp and easily found a free parking space for her fuel-efficient ride next to a trove of similar motorized bicycles.

“I feel like everyone has mo-peds now,” said the University of Iowa sophomore, 20, who thanks her Honda Metropolitan for eliminating the 10-minute walk from her apartment to downtown. “They're just so convenient.”

Rising gas prices and congested parking lots have upped the appeal for mo-peds and scooters across Iowa in recent years, and the trend has local and state officials pushing safety and reviewing laws and provisions related to the alternative transportation.

Johnson County had the second-highest number of registered mo-peds in the state last year, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. Its 690 registered mo-peds was topped only by the 1,143 in Polk County, which has three times the population of Johnson County.

“That doesn't surprise me,” Schafbuch said. “I have two roommates, and they both have mo-peds as well.”

When compared with Iowa's other university communities in 2010, Johnson County had a higher rate of mo-ped registrations, with one mo-ped for every 189 people, according to the state. Story County, home to Iowa State University, reported one mo-ped per 218 people last year, and the University of Northern Iowa's Black Hawk County had one mo-ped per 254 people.

Johnson County's mo-ped registrations rose from 391 in 2005 to 690 last year, but increasing use of the low-powered mini motorcycles isn't limited to university communities. Linn County has seen its mo-ped registration numbers slowly swell in recent years, climbing from 535 in 2005 to 616 last year.

Mirroring the increasing usage, the state has noted a rise in the number of mo-ped crashes. There were 153 crashes involving mo-peds and all-terrain vehicles in Iowa in 2010 compared with 130 in 2005, according to the Department of Transportation's Office of Traffic and Safety.

Dena Gray-Fisher, IDOT spokeswoman, said mo-ped and motorcycle crashes have the highest fatality rates in the state, which does not require operators to wear helmets.

On the heels of the death of Iowa City West High senior Caroline Found, who was killed Aug. 11 while riding a mo-ped, Gray-Fisher said she's hopeful Iowa will tackle the issue of mandating headgear for motorcyclists.

“There has been a lot of resistance in the past,” she said, “but as we see accidents and the rate of fatalities being a primary concern for Iowa, we would hope the Legislature would take a look at the issue and reconsider it. That is something we urge them to do.”

After Found's death, Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine said a community member came to him and asked if he would support a local ordinance requiring helmets. Hargadine said such a law would be too difficult to enforce, as riders cruise from one helmet-mandated community to another without restrictions.

“It's problematic because there are so many jurisdictions, like University Heights and Coralville,” he said. “It needs to be done on a statewide level.”

If the issue was raised in the Legislature, Hargadine said, he would support a law requiring mo-ped operators and motorcyclists to wear helmets.

“If you're on the public roadway, you need to have a helmet,” he said.

Mo-peds aren't only a concern when they're on the road. The surge in mo-peds around Iowa City also has impacted parking, said Chris O'Brien, Iowa City's transportation services director.

“They have overrun the bike racks and made it tough to ride bikes,” O'Brien said.

The City Council in August passed a law, which will take effect Jan. 1, banning mo-peds from parking in bicycle racks and creating additional permit parking in the downtown area specifically for mo-peds and motorcycles. Annual permits to park in any of the 142 designated spaces will cost $45.

City officials added the designated parking and changed the code because they don't expect mo-ped use to dwindle anytime soon, O'Brien said.

“Every year, it catches on more and more,” he said.

Jon Rouse, general manager for Park Cedar Rapids, said that community also responded to the rise in mo-ped use by creating designated areas for the smaller vehicles. There are enough spaces in Cedar Rapids right now, Rouse said, but his staff has started exploring the possibility of adding more.

“If we continue to see the increase, which is great, we would be more than happy to provide additional space for them,” he said.