The Town Council agreed on Friday, Jan. 29 to continue discussions on the annual renewal of moped rental licenses for 2021 until March 1. A motion initially made by First Warden André Boudreau to approve the moped licenses, was defeated 3-2. Councilor Keith Stover made a new motion to continue discussions on the matter, which passed unanimously.
Five moped operators are seeking renewals for 2021: Aldo’s Mopeds, The Moped Man, Island Mopeds, Miles-Un-limited, and Ocean State Bikes. Each license would allow the rental of 34 vehicles and would expire on Dec. 31, 2021.
The council, Town Manager Maryanne Crawford, and members of the public, engaged in a lengthy conversation about renewing the licenses, during the virtual meeting.
Crawford announced that the moped operators agreed to the creation of a safety video for moped renters. She has been meeting on an occasional basis with the moped operators since the summer. On Jan. 20, Crawford had announced training on Weldon’s Way, a public road, will not occur in summer 2021.
Selected comments from the meeting
Participants included the councilors, town manager, and Beth Noonan, an attorney representing the moped operators. Among the matters discussed was whether the current agreement between
