LINCOLN – The ever-increasing popularity of e-bikes for people of all ages has sparked greater concerns about safety, even as multiple young people from the area have been injured.
Several communities are now considering new or revised rules on where and how the motorized bicycles are to be used, including North Smithfield and now Lincoln.
This writer recently witnessed a near-crash between a speeding e-bike rider and a runner on the bike path in Lincoln, where Town Administrator Phil Gould says officials are set to start considering new restrictions.
Gould explained that the ordinance set to go to the Town Council this month is primarily about riding in local parks, but similar to what’s happening in other communities, they realize that it has to extend to local sidewalks and roadways as well.
So many people of all ages are now using the e-bikes, he said, and it’s presenting a dangerous situation for riders and others as they travel at speeds close to 30 mph.
“It’s kind of the Wild West out there right now,” he said. “Some kid is going to be killed.”
He said at least two young people locally have been hurt while riding the bikes.
The effort to draft an appropriate ordinance will likely take a couple of months, he said, as there are a lot of questions to consider, including classifications for different types of vehicles.
One big question they need to answer is how they’re going to effectively deter use of such bikes with young people, said Gould. The likely way that will work is to penalize their parents financially.
“You’re not going to give a $250 fine to a 13-year-old,” he said.
Standard e-bikes typically travel at top speeds between 20 and 28 mph, and they’ve increasingly been seen in regular lanes of traffic locally. Advocates say they’re an effective and affordable means of travel, but their use also isn’t regulated as the use of cars or motorcycles is.
In a world of speed common speed cameras discouraging riders from exceeding 30 mph in many school zones, such as in Pawtucket, in many cases they’re also able to keep up with the flow of traffic.
A quality bike is typically in the $2,000 range, with a serviceable one coming in at about half of that.
Lincoln is in a phase of deciding how it will operate on many levels. Officials recently finalized rules on outdoor burning, and officials are also considering whether to proceed with keeping Flock cameras operational.
