Link Ahead with the City of Dublin, Ohio
Link Ahead with the City of Dublin, Ohio
Quieter Streets & Safer Paths. New Rules For E-Bikes, Exhaust Noise and More
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Revved engines at midnight. A bass line that rattles your windows. A mini motorcycle flying past walkers on a shared use path. These are the moments that turn everyday travel into a quality-of-life challenge. And this is exactly what Lindsay and Bruce tackle in the episode with updated rules on noise ordinances and micromobility rules.
We’re joined by Deputy Chief of Police Nick Tabernik and Director of Transportation & Mobility Jeannie Willis to explain what’s changing and how it actually works in real life. We break down the new Dublin Ohio decibel limits for vehicle exhaust based on speed zones and the 80-decibel standard for stereo sound. Just as importantly, we talk about how officers determine excessive noise with a decibel reader and what residents should do when they need to report a problem using the non-emergency line.
Then we shift to micromobility, where new devices are showing up faster than most of us can keep track. Jeannie walks us through what counts as micromobility, how e-bike Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 differ, and where each can legally ride. We also cover safe parking that keeps curb ramps clear for accessibility and the updated helmet requirement for riders under 16. Throughout the conversation, we keep coming back to the same goal: safer streets, clearer expectations, and education first with enforcement as a secondary step when behavior doesn’t change.
If you care about road safety, shared path etiquette and practical local rules that keep Dublin moving, listen now. Subscribe, share this with a neighbor and leave a review with the next question you want us to answer.
Welcome And What We Heard
SPEAKER_00Hello and welcome to Link Ahead, the City of Dublin podcast. Dublin, we heard you, no pun intent.
SPEAKER_03That's right. Our residents have asked questions like: Is that e-bike allowed on our shared use paths? Or what are we going to do about these loud cars revving their engines on our streets?
SPEAKER_00You're right, Lindsay. And today we answer those questions and more. We're talking about updates to Dublin's noise ordinance, plus new modes and codes for transportation. Our guests today are Deputy Chief Police Nick Tavernick and Director of Transportation Mobility, Jeannie Willis. Welcome to Link Ahead. Oh, we got a good question. Thank you.
SPEAKER_01Great to be here. I'm a big fan. Oh, thanks. All right. First time on. So I really appreciate you having me. All right.
SPEAKER_03Well, welcome and our third time for Jeannie, I think.
SPEAKER_00Wow, third timer.
Why The Noise Code Changes
SPEAKER_03Welcome back. Thanks so much, man. All right, Deputy Chief, let's start with you and the noise ordinance. Now we're talking about a new code, but from the jump here, this effort is about conversation over citations, right?
SPEAKER_01Lindsay, it sure is. So we definitely heard from our residents that they were desirous of having some control on the noise. And then we have a very responsive city council as well who felt that this was a very important issue. And we as a police department in transportation mobility and communications and marketing wanted to make sure that we had clear and measurable levels and limits that would be decibel limits, and then that we can go out and we can educate the public on those limits, and then work towards warnings after that, and at the end of the line, enforcement if it's necessary.
SPEAKER_03Exactly.
Decibel Limits And Reporting Noise
SPEAKER_00Right, right. And this is usually the Dublin process, you know, with people or if there's an issue that comes up, we talk about it, we benchmark stuff, and then we come up with solutions. So I mean it's not like it's something new that Dublin has faced. So we've been studying this for a while in and taking in community feedback, looking at other cities and looking at the data on how noise affects our lives. And let's go through these changes one by one because there's a lot to really digest here. So vehicle engine exhaust. What is what's the story with that? Yeah, so really this is a quality of life issue.
SPEAKER_01Okay. And something that we continuously hear from residents and and it's expanding city, right? So there's some growing pains along with it. Sure. And this is in addition to revving engines, this is in addition to uh squealing tires, but really the vehicle exhaust and getting that clear decibel limit. And so what that decibel limit is, is 86 decibels for roadways that are 35 mile an hour and lower, and then it's 90 decibels maximum for those roadways that are above 35 miles per hour. Okay.
SPEAKER_03And now engine braking is prohibited. Is that the same as jake braking? I've seen the signs go up and I I remember reading those, you know, on the streets. Is that the same thing?
SPEAKER_01It is the exact same thing. And it is prohibited in the city. Okay. And again, this is another safety issue. This is another quality of life issue that we heard the concern from our residents in our community and took action.
SPEAKER_00All right. What about stereo sounds? I know sometimes I'll be driving down the road and I'm going to crank a tune. Am I still going to be able to do anything like that?
SPEAKER_01You still are with limits. Okay. All right. So the point was to have these clear limits. And so that limit is 80 decibels for the for the stereo sound.
SPEAKER_03Is that what you're dorming having your metallica around 80 with the windows?
SPEAKER_00Sometimes I want to go old school hip hop, and there's some bass in that. That can be heard from quite a distance. Just do it reasonably. Okay. All right.
SPEAKER_03Don't be a public nuisance, Bruce. So public nuisance noise. Sound levels may not exceed 80 decibels for more than 15 minutes. Is that right?
SPEAKER_01Yes. So the 80 decibel top limit, and that and we will measure that over a 15-minute time span. And then I I want to reiterate again that we are going to have conversations with residents and community members and provide warnings when necessary. And for those repeat offenses where we haven't gotten the desired change in behavior that we're looking for, that is when enforcement would take place.
SPEAKER_00How about repetitive or persistent noise?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so that would be the times when our officers would go out on multiple different occasions, have that conversation, try to reason with um whoever the violator in that circumstance is, and try to get some voluntary compliance and educate the public in that regard. And then if it just continues to be persistent and we're trying to get that change in behavior that I referred to earlier, that would be when we would take enforcement action. Okay. All right.
SPEAKER_03So what can residents really expect from these changes?
SPEAKER_01I think residents can expect a lot of community education to start with because this is new. And City Council passed this ordinance and we're very thankful that they did. But this is new for everyone. So they should expect a lot of public education through communications and marketing. They should also expect public education from the police department so that there is an understanding of what these limits are and what they aren't.
SPEAKER_00I go back to when we like first introduced roundabouts. You know. You were here then? I was here, Lindsay. Genie. You were here. Oh. Nick, were you here when roundabouts first started? No, I was not. All right. Anyways. But it wasn't like we just put it out there and said, go ahead and start driving. You know, it was an educational process. It was not a free-for-all. We let people know this is the right way to do it. So that's the Dublin way. So how is excessive noise determined?
SPEAKER_01The decibel readings that I referred to earlier. So we would use a decibel reader to get those readings, and those would be how does that is just a handheld device that our officers can use to gauge the decibel reading that is emitting from a certain source. So in this situation, a vehicle or a house for the for the persistent ones over 15 minutes. And they would take that reading and then take action from there.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03And we want people to report if they are hearing the loud noise, right? So if someone um does hear something, they're not sure if it's at that threshold, you know, we're we're just dipping our feet into this. But what do you want people to do if they think that they've heard something that is too loud?
SPEAKER_01We definitely want people to report it. So they can call our non-emergency line if they hear something that is too loud, and we will dispatch an officer to come and assess that. All right.
Micromobility Rules On Paths And Roads
SPEAKER_00So, Jeannie, let's bring you into the conversation. So uh let's come to you and talk about mobility and specifically micro-mobility. Will you explain what micro mobility is to our audience?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so uh micromobility can mean all kinds of different things, and that's where it kind of starts to get real confusing. So, right?
SPEAKER_00So it's not scooters for mice, right?
SPEAKER_05It's not uh typically mice are not involved, but small children could be involved. How about that? Nice little segue there. So, yeah, so I mean they can be scooters, they can be e-scooters, they could be hoverboards, they could be um skateboards, they can be multiple different types of um small electric or manual powered devices that can be ridden um on our, you know, you'll see them most frequently on our paths and on our sidewalks.
SPEAKER_03Well, some of these things are easier to see than to explain. Yeah, but let's try to try to talk through, and we should say we have great resources on our website, Dublin, Ohiousa.gov. Um, but we are talking about e-bikes, class one and two, and then there's e-bikes class three. Yeah. So what are the differences there? What's allowed, what's not?
SPEAKER_05Okay, so that is a really great question. Class one and class two e-bikes, max top speed is about 20 miles an hour. Difference between class one and class two, class two will have a throttle that you can um use to drive that bike independently of pedaling. Um, class three e-bikes um have the throttle as well as the um class two, but their their max speed is about 28 miles per hour. So that those are the key distinctions between those three different types of bikes.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so with those differences in mind, where can you ride the different types of e-bikes?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so there are some distinctions. So class one and class two e-bikes can be ridden on our shared use paths and on our sidewalks, but class three e-bikes can only be ridden on our roadways, and it can be any roadway.
SPEAKER_03Good to know. And then scooters and the the e-scooters and the electronic skateboards.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so those are the same as our class one and class two e-bikes, um, shared use paths and sidewalks. And roadways with uh 25 miles per hour or lower speed limits.
SPEAKER_03And again, this is all on our website, right?
SPEAKER_00Deputy Chief, how do you this is additional work that's on each police officer that's out in the field. So how do you how do you embrace this and how do you have time to enforce this?
SPEAKER_01That's a good question, Bruce. So we are a service-driven organization and always will be. And this is something that's definitely an issue of community concern, and it's a safety issue. So our officers are there for the safety of the community, and this will become a priority for us to make sure that everyone riding a micromobility device, everyone walking, and everyone on the roadway remains safe.
SPEAKER_03And you mentioned these changes that council made, they actually help the officers too. It takes away some of that ambiguity.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. It provides clarity for our officers so that they have an understanding of what these different emergency emerging technologies are and what's legal and what's illegal.
SPEAKER_00And Jeannie, other than enforcement, there's etiquette too, right?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so you know, we're not trying to take um anybody's fun away, as we talked about earlier, but this really is focused on safety. So, you know, um a kid or someone, anyone riding a class three e-bike or even a mini motorcycle on a shared use path or sidewalk at like 20, 30 miles an hour next to someone walking, that's a that's a safety issue. If those two people collide, um, that's gonna result in someone getting an injury. And that's what we're trying to prevent. We're trying to keep everyone in the safest situation possible.
SPEAKER_03And then there are also electric skateboards.
SPEAKER_05There are. So, and they look exactly like a regular skateboard. They basically operate just like an e-scooter, but they have a battery on the bottom of the skateboard. You do a couple little pushes, you get that battery going, and then the motor takes off and you don't have to push. There's no manual effort needed.
SPEAKER_00And I've seen these recently, the mini motorcycle bikes.
SPEAKER_05They're everywhere, right?
SPEAKER_03It became very popular within the last year, I think. Yeah. In fact, right before Christmas, we were afraid that parents were going to be buying these. Yeah. So we had to say, hey, you know, we're gonna have some new rules and regulations coming along.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and we sure do. So we have banned um mini motorcycles on our shared use paths, on our sidewalks, and on our roads and in our parks. So, really, the only place to legally ride a mini motorcycle in Dublin is on private property with written permission from the property owner.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_03So you can ride it in your backyard. Yeah. Yep. So um I know one of these um new rules and regulations has to do with helmets. So council thought it was a good idea to put a regulation, uh, talk about that.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so uh we now have a rule in place that uh 16 or underneath under 16 years old, you have to wear a helmet when you're riding any of these devices. So bikes, e-bikes, scooters, e-scooters, any of these micromobility devices that are permitted on our shared use paths or sidewalks or even in our roadways, you have to wear a helmet.
SPEAKER_03And we should mention we did a community survey before this, and the community was very supportive of the supportive.
SPEAKER_05Overwhelmingly supportive.
How Dublin Updates Safety Codes
SPEAKER_00So yeah, you kind of talked about that. How did we go about updating these rules?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so we did a lot of benchmarking. Um, we had did a lot of work with our legal department, with our um PD benchmarking what is happening out there across Central Ohio. This isn't just a Dublin issue. This is a sure, this is an emerging issue for all cities really across the across the country. Um so we did a lot of work talking about what other communities are doing, trying to be consistent here in Dublin, um, but also looking to Dublin and what our specific needs are. We have, you know, different neighborhoods, we have different facilities and infrastructure here than some other communities have. So we um thought long and hard about what it was that we really wanted. And then we took the proposed changes to the um residents and said, okay, here is a survey, this is what we're talking about, this is what we're thinking about. What do you guys think? And there was overwhelming support for the changes.
SPEAKER_03All right, let's dive into those changes a little bit. Bring you back in, Deputy Chief. So we know helmets under 16, and then uh maybe some speed limits, or what other changes have we implemented?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I want to emphasize these are safety changes. These are absolutely related to safety and predominantly related to safety for the youngest members of our community. Uh so we have in place that mini motorcycles are not legal, and as you pointed out, those have become quite prevalent, and our officers see those on a regular basis. So those those are not legal, and the parents can be held accountable if their juvenile child is is driving one of those mini motorcycles. There's also areas where we don't allow different micromobility devices on shared use paths, and as you pointed out, I would I would offer that you can go to our website and get all the ins and outs of those those specifics.
SPEAKER_00I mean, you talk about this being a safety issue, and I remember I know I'm gonna date myself and Lindsay's gonna make fun of me, but I remember we didn't have seat belts in the back of cars. And then now my kids, what they're driving, I'm in the back. They're like, put your seatbelt on, dad. I'm like, this is just progression, right?
SPEAKER_01It absolutely is. We're and we're trying to keep up with emerging technology. We're trying to keep up with industries that that are pushing out different products for people to consume and people to buy. And so working with transportation mobility in our legal department has been really valuable to try to catch up a little bit because the law hasn't always caught up with those emerging technologies. So, how will these changes affect safety on streets and shared paths? I think the last thing that any officer wants to go to is a crash involving someone who's not in a motor vehicle against someone who's in a motor vehicle. Those creates pretty significant public safety issues. So I think ultimately this makes our streets safer, this makes our shared use paths safer, and it makes everyone in the community safer.
Enforcement Parking And School Partners
SPEAKER_03Um I know you probably don't want to talk about this aspect because you're more about education than enforcement. But uh, you know, for for safety, sometimes you do have to enforce. So what's the plan there? How will these new changes be enforced?
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. And and we're not shying away from enforcement either. Again, this is a public safety issue, and and we look to change behavior. So we are not looking to write tickets, we're not looking to generate revenue, we are looking to change behavior. And so we'll start with the education, and the enforcement comes down to a traffic ticket or the and or the parental responsibility as well.
SPEAKER_00So what are like uh when you go back to microbility devices, what are some parking rules that are to be maintained?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so that's a great question. You know, we what we really want is for folks to park um any type of device at these at our publicly available um bike racks. We need them to keep them out of the sidewalk, um, walkway part so that people have free and clear access to the sidewalk. And we really don't want them parked in our curb ramps.
SPEAKER_00Well I know that's like one of those things in the bigger cities when you're walking around, you just see tons of different versions laying all over the place.
SPEAKER_05All over the place. Um and so it really hinders people's access to be able to cross the streets safely. Um if there are folks with um disabilities who need to, you know, get across the street that and we're blocking their way. I mean, that puts them in harm's way. That is not what we want. Um, and then just people who use the sidewalks or the shared use paths, they need to have free and clear access. So those things are very important.
SPEAKER_03We talked a little bit about the benchmarking that was done and that this isn't just a Dublin, you know, issue. How do our changes align with neighboring communities? What are you seeing around the region?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so they really do. So our partners um in New Albany, um in Powell, uh Westerville, they're every there are a lot of communities that are starting to tackle this issue. We are a little bit ahead of some of our neighboring communities. Um, some of them are just starting to see that this is becoming an issue and they're trying to figure out how to handle it. Others um have recently passed more um updated code sections to help them manage. Um, some folks are looking to their schools that have, say, a unified campus for all of their um children. Um, and so they're really leaning on the schools pretty heavily to help them manage how um these devices are being um used within their communities.
SPEAKER_03That's a great point. The schools are a big partner in all of this with the education. Uh talk a little bit about that.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely. They're a huge partner with this. So we have a school resource officer at each one of our high schools and each one of our middle schools, and then they have responsibilities at the elementary schools. And they are ingrained in those ecosystems at those schools. So leveraging those school resource officers and their connections in the schools in furtherance of this public education will be vital to the the program.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So how does if somebody wants to report like there's you know, there's bikes parked everywhere or there's kids on motorbikes and stuff, what what should residents do?
SPEAKER_05They should call the uh police non-emergency phone number that is on our website. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then I'll have the other side of that or go to the Go Dublin app. Oh, that's another good one. Submit. Yeah. Okay. Yep.
Rapid Fire Travel Favorites
SPEAKER_03All right. Well, um, as we start to wrap up, uh Jeannie will know this. We like to do rapid fire questions at the end of every episode. Um, so let's start with um you, Deputy Chief. If time were no concern, how would you most like to navigate Dublin? Car on foot, a scooter, or a bike?
SPEAKER_01On foot. I like walking. And also we have so many paths. Thank you for that. We have so many paths. And so being able to take it in at a very low speed as I'm walking, be able to take everything in, I think would be most enjoyable for me.
SPEAKER_05Okay. Oh, I like scooters. I like the e-scooters. Yeah. Oh my gosh, they're so much fun. Or even like the little seated scooters. I forgot to mention those. That's another type of micromobility device. But man, you can sit down on that thing and you can just tool around town. That is so much fun. Okay, so I love them. Scooters are allowed on the on some streets. They're allowed on paths. And on our sideways. So streets with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or lower, and then on our shared use paths and on our sidewalks.
SPEAKER_00What is the coolest piece of any transportation you've ever rode or drove? Let's start with you.
SPEAKER_01Stumped him. Yeah, you did stump me.
SPEAKER_00Um sidecar, like a motorcycle sidecar. I that's one of my favorite.
SPEAKER_01I'm gonna go old school. How about a train? There you go. I almost took a train down from northeast Ohio down to Florida. Really? And I was kind of dreading it as a kid, and it turns out in hindsight, it was really, really cool. That would be cool. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05I'm gonna say um high speed rail from London to Paris. Have you done that? I have. Okay. And it was awesome, and it was so much fun. Very cool. We need that here. We do need that. How fast did it go? Um, I think it's top speed, it was like 220 miles an hour. Oh man. It's a little faster than the train. You go faster than the train. It's like really like smooth. You don't even notice that really that you're going that fast. All right. Do you remember your first bike? I do. Let's hear about it. Yeah, it was it was a green little number with the big high handlebars and the banana seat and the streamers from the handles. Oh, yeah. Nice. It had glitter.
SPEAKER_01Light blue, huffy. Okay. So my sister got a pink one. I got a blue one. Seemed to fit, right? Mine was a swing.
SPEAKER_00That's awesome. All right, Deputy Chief. You, when you first got your license, what was the car you drove?
SPEAKER_011986 Oldsmobile Cut was Supreme. Oh, wow. Bucket seats. It was a great car. It wasn't the most reliable car because it was a little dated at the time, and I won't give my age, but it was a little dated at the time. But it was fantastic. How big was that thing? Huge, like a boat. A boat on wheels. Sounds very student of the stuff. It was amazing. It was sturdy, yes.
SPEAKER_05Oh my. I had a uh silver Honda Civic wagon with a stick shift.
SPEAKER_00Oh I missed the standards. That was my.
SPEAKER_04I loved that car. I abused that.
SPEAKER_03I did. Oh, all right. If you could pick uh fly an airplane, captain a yacht, or drive a race car was your number one.
SPEAKER_01Captain a yacht. I knew you were gonna say that. I knew you were gonna say that.
SPEAKER_00There's something about like you're like you, that just makes sense. You and a yacht. Like, you can captain head. You have to take a head for sure. I take a hat for sure.
SPEAKER_05How about you? Oh, I'd fly a plane. Yeah, hands down. Yeah, absolutely.
Autonomous Vehicles And Final Thanks
SPEAKER_03Well, you have a son who does that. I do. So we don't need to have a son who does that. Yeah. Um, all right. Um, we've been promising flying cars now for about 20 years. So what is next in transportation? Give us a prediction. For 10 or 20 years, how are we gonna get around?
SPEAKER_05There'll be autonomous vehicles. Yeah, definitely. Really? 100%.
SPEAKER_00Okay. They don't seem to be working very well right now. You only well, I guess they say you only hear about the bad stuff.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. There's some details to work out, but it's gonna happen.
SPEAKER_03Now, how do you write a ticket for an autonomous vehicle? You go to their speeding and you just want to give them a ticket and there's not no one there.
SPEAKER_01So I had the same answer as Jeannie, and I think through that same exact exact question that you just asked from an enforcement standpoint. And I don't know. There's another area where we have to wait for it.
SPEAKER_05We will have to figure that out.
SPEAKER_00Oh man. All right. You're gonna have to wait on your flying cars, Celindy.
SPEAKER_03Oh man, not in the next 10 or 20 years, huh?
SPEAKER_00All right, Jeannie, Deputy Chief, thank you so much for joining us, and thank you for your decades of service to the city of Dublin. Thank you both. We really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_03Definitely. Thanks for having us again. And to our listeners, thank you for taking time to connect with your city. Join us next time as we continue to explore the many people and experiences that make Dublin a thriving place to live, work, and grow.