E-Bikes Are Out of Control

My daughter and I were walking down Michigan Avenue in East Lansing and found ourselves sharing the sidewalk with an e-bike speeding along (as its operator smoked a cigarette, no less). Incidents like this are becoming too common.

Some e-bikes look and function like traditional bicycles with a motor attached. Major bicycle manufacturers like Trek even use a traditional frame and attach a motor and controller to it. All of the first-generation e-bikes were like this.

But other e-bikes, like the one zipping down our sidewalk today, look more like a motorcycle: fat tires, wide handlebars, big lights, a seat low to the ground, and often annoying features like speakers.

The low seat is especially relevant, because it means that if you did try to pedal, it would be uncomfortable. This is because the manufacturer didn’t really expect the operator to pedal it. They intended the vehicle to be used like an electric motorcycle. Treating these as “bicycles” strains common sense.

Michigan Ave. in East Lansing also has an excellent buffered bike lane. I use it all the time, yet here the guy was riding down the sidewalk. That also should be illegal. We made a space just for you on the road, leave the sidewalk to pedestrians.

If you live in any sort of urban area, you’ve noticed this problem yourself, and now people are demanding that something change. About a month ago, the Meridian Township Police wrote a Facebook post mentioning that they have “heard many concerns” regarding the behavior of e-bike operators.

I’m not against e-bikes. My family owns several, and we were probably among the first to embrace them in the Lansing area. I have heard them especially praised by older individuals who gave up bicycling long ago but now, with an electric assist, feel young again, and that’s great. I like that I can bicycle to work and not worry about sweating on the way. I am in favor of e-bikes with responsible, respectful riders. I am against irresponsible, disrespectful riders.

As is usually the case, we don’t actually have a technology problem, we have a “some-people” problem.

The state of Michigan made a reasonable first attempt at regulating e-bike use. E-bikes are placed into one of three categories. Class 1 e-bikes are pedal-assist only (you have to pedal), with a max assisted speed of 20 mph, and by default they are allowed almost everywhere a traditional bicycle would be allowed (unless a local authority bans them). Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle (you don’t have to pedal), still with a max assisted speed of 20 mph, and Class 3 e-bikes are back to pedal-assist only, but with a max assisted speed of 28 mph.

Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes are generally not allowed on bike trails unless the local authority has chosen to permit them. But many of the vehicles we are encountering on trails and sidewalks are none of the above (the user is not pedaling, but they are definitely going over 20 mph).

There are problems with this regulatory scheme though. For one, even if we erected signs that said something like “Class 1 E-bikes Only,” most would assume they must be okay, given that they have no idea what they’re riding. And if an authority actually tried to enforce a rule for vehicles based on class, unless he can find the little sticker, he probably couldn’t tell at which class of e-bike he’s looking at. Even measuring speed wouldn’t tell you, since you can operate a Class 1 e-bike over 20 mph by just pedaling faster, and you can certainly operate a Class 3 e-bike below 20 mph.

So I would propose we make the rules something like this instead:

1. If you are pedaling, you can ride anywhere a traditional bicycle is allowed. You still can’t operate recklessly or put someone in danger. If you’re on the sidewalk, always defer to pedestrians.

2. If you aren’t pedaling, you should be on the road. This might include using the bicycle lane on the road, that’s fine, but you shouldn’t be on a sidewalk or an off-road bicycle path.

3. No use of speakers audible to others on off-road trails or paths. People out there enjoying the sounds of nature don’t want to hear your playlist.

If enforced, I suspect these rules would push most problem users onto roads where they would no longer be a problem. And these rules are easily understood—you might not know what the sticker on your vehicle says, but you do know whether or not you’re pedaling. Officers could also tell at a glance if you’re following the rules.

E-bikes are a fantastic technology that improves mobility, health, and quality of life. A few rules, properly enforced, can preserve their benefits while addressing the problems caused by disrespectful riders.