With the recognition of electrical bikes surging, officers who keep and monitor our path community are going through a dilemma: Should this new type of transportation share the identical trails as conventional cyclists and pedestrians?
The reply, we consider, is sure. An outright ban on e-bikes is not the path to take. The majority of e-bikes current no extra hazard than different kinds of bicycles, and implementing a pace restrict on the paths can be subsequent to unattainable.
The preferrred answer to the issue can be minimal authorities involvement, and as a substitute higher use of correct path etiquette by riders and pedestrians. Several letter writers to this newspaper have identified that e-bikes are not the issue; they declare path etiquette is the real drawback. In an ideal world, all path customers would observe the principles, and cyclists would keep secure speeds and alert others earlier than they go. But clearly, that’s not occurring, and no one has give you a workable option to implement path etiquette and private duty.
While we anticipate that good world, e-bike expertise progresses and persons are starting to make use of their new vacation items because the climate warms, which implies the paths are solely going to get busier. With that in thoughts, there have to be guidelines to control bikes which might be turning into extra akin to motorbikes.
A very good begin on the matter can be motion on the state degree on House Bill 119, which has been dormant since April 2021. The invoice defines e-bikes, and locations their regulation within the arms of native authorities and state companies. The laws notes that e-bikes will be ridden anyplace bicycles are allowed, together with bike lanes and multi-use trails. The invoice would additionally enable the prohibition of e-bikes inside native jurisdictions, if the authority finds the restriction is needed for security causes.
Again, we don’t assume prohibition is the answer. A steadiness between offering native jurisdictions the flexibility to implement fundamental guidelines and inspiring correct path etiquette is the reply.