Moped-towing Operation Continues In Boston

BOSTON, MA — The police department announced that it towed seven mopeds during a targeted enforcement operation in Downtown Boston this week.

Officers and members of the department's Auto Theft Unit conducted the operation at approximately 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26. According to police, the initiative was organized in response to ongoing public safety and quality-of-life concerns surrounding the increased presence and unlawful operation of scooters and mopeds in the Downtown Boston area.

The operation resulted in seven mopeds being towed, 10 motor vehicle citations being issued, and eight people receiving criminal summonses. One person was also arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Under Massachusetts law, vehicles that meet the state's definition of a moped must be registered with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and display a valid registration sticker. Operators must be at least 16 years old and possess a valid driver's license or learner's permit, while operators and passengers are required to wear approved helmets. Mopeds are also limited to a maximum speed of 25 mph.

The operation comes as Boston police continue conducting targeted scooter and moped enforcement efforts across the city. Earlier this month, officers, detectives and members of the Auto Theft Unit conducted a similar initiative in the areas of Blue Hill Avenue and Warren Street in Roxbury. The operation resulted in 31 mopeds being towed for motor vehicle law violations and summonses being issued to 12 people.

In May, officers assigned to District B-2 and the Auto Theft Unit conducted another initiative known as "Operation Safe Scooter" in Roxbury, towing 10 scooters and mopeds for motor vehicle law violations. Later that month, a separate investigation in Dorchester led officers to nine gasoline-powered mopeds at a property on Kenberma Road. Police said none of the vehicles were properly registered, and several showed indications that they had been stolen. Three people were arrested, and eight mopeds were towed as a result of the investigation.

Boston police also conducted a two-day enforcement operation in the South End, Fenway and Back Bay in March, resulting in another 12 scooters and mopeds being towed.

The increased enforcement comes as state officials consider changes to how mopeds, scooters and other micromobility devices are regulated in Massachusetts. Earlier this year, Gov. Maura Healey filed the Ride Safe Act, legislation that would establish a speed-based classification system for the vehicles and create additional requirements for higher-speed devices.

The proposal followed recommendations released in January by the state's Special Commission on Micromobility, which was established to examine the growing use of electric bicycles, scooters, mopeds, and similar vehicles and recommend updates to Massachusetts law.

Boston police said the department plans to continue conducting similar enforcement operations across the city.

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