New Jersey has just taken one of the most aggressive – and controversial – steps yet in regulating electric bikes, and it’s a move that’s already drawing sharp criticism from cycling advocates.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed a new e-bike law this week that effectively lumps everything with a motor and two wheels into a single category, scrapping the widely accepted three-class system for regulating street-legal electric bicycles. That means pedal-assist e-bikes, throttle bikes, and high-powered e-moto-style machines are now treated the same under state law.
New Jersey has been pursuing stricter e-bike laws for several years, and it now appears to have finally succeeded. A one-year countdown has now begun until the law takes effect, where e-bike owners in New Jersey will need to register their bikes, carry insurance, and hold a driver’s license. Riders 14 and under are banned from using motorized bicycles and scooters altogether, while adults with a standard driver’s license won’t need an additional endorsement. Violators face a $50 fine. Those 15 to 17 years of age without a driver’s license will have the option of obtaining an electric bike-specific license instead of a standard driver’s license.
Murphy pointed to several recent fatal crashes involving e-bikes as the motivation behind the law, saying the state’s rules hadn’t been updated in six years despite rapidly increasing e-bike use. The bill was sponsored by state Senate President Nick Scutari and passed comfortably through both chambers earlier this month.
But cycling groups argue the law misses the real problem.
By eliminating the widely used three-class e-bike system, New Jersey is now treating a 20 mph pedal-assist commuter bike the same as an electric dirt bike capable of highway speeds. Critics say that approach creates unnecessary barriers for low-speed e-bikes – often used for commuting and transportation equity – while failing to directly target the high-powered e-motos that have been linked to many of the most serious crashes.
“This bill creates barriers to developing micromobility in the state,” said Debra Kagan of the New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition, arguing that enforcement of existing laws on faster machines would have been a better approach.
Top comment by dashpool
When I lived in Switzerland insurance/registration was required for any bicycle. But it was relatively straightforward and not too expensive.
i.e. this is not in principle a bad idea.
A lot of the issues the US is having is allowing a bunch of classes of electric two-wheelers that are far faster and more powerful than standard bikes. It isn't too surprising that at some point there is a backlash especially given their popularity with children.
Europe/UK is having a bit of an issue, too, but mostly with illegal electric motorcycles; at least legal e-bikers like me can point to them and say that they are not bicycles.
Having a clear distinction between bicycles and motorcycles seems important.
Ironically, one of the law’s more forward-looking elements – banning the online sale of certain high-powered e-motos to kids – may get lost in the broader sweep of restrictions.
Low-speed rental programs like Citi Bike are said to be exempt if they operate under municipal contracts, but for everyday riders, New Jersey’s new rules mark a sharp departure from how e-bikes are regulated almost everywhere else in the US.
Whether this approach improves safety – or simply pushes riders away from e-bikes altogether – is something the rest of the country will likely be watching closely. As more states pursue stricter e-bike laws, one of the major benefits of e-bikes – a lack of burdensome regulation – could be on the decline.
via: NJ Advance Media
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