The Starkville Board of Aldermen unanimously passed a proposal Tuesday night to hold a public hearing at their next May 1 meeting to amend the city’s bike helmet ordinance.
Alderman Richard Corey presented his proposal after a number of complaints received by constituents.
“The number of complaints I have received have remained fairly constant,” Corey said.
According to Corey many business owners have seen a drop in cyclists, and many of them have noticed a change in behavior by a decline in the number of times and the number of places people ride their bikes.
“I’ve had some concerns that the potential negative impact of it could be outweighing the good by creating an environment where people are no longer wanting to ride their bikes as much or as often as they used to,” he said.
Corey also said an update from the courts reflected over half of the cases held by the city’s administrative hearing court are helmet violations.
“I want to be able to address some of these issues and see if there is something we can do to get some relief,” he said.