This Makes NO Sense!

I live in Sellersville, PA and the only real ‘bike path’ in the area goes through the town of Perkasie and East Rockhill Township. Recently this sign went up at one of the entry points to the trail:

Before this, the only signs that were displayed anywhere read only ‘Motor Vehicles Prohibited’, which is fine because Federal and State law consider Class 1 and 2 electric bikes as regular bicycles, not ‘motor vehicles’. But this is different, and makes no sense at all.

So why would our local jurisdiction(s) do this? Here’s why (source):

“The Perkasie Borough Police Department has noticed a surge in reports concerning minors operating electric bicycles. Many parents are unaware that, according to Pennsylvania law, individuals must be at least 16 years old to legally ride an electric bike. It’s essential to note that electric bicycles are classified as vehicles in Pennsylvania and, as such, are subject to specific laws and regulations. Furthermore, their use is strictly prohibited within Perkasie Borough’s parks and bike paths.”

So let’s take this statement apart one piece at a time:

“Minors operating electric bicycles” – that’s definitely a thing that’s happening and needs to be better controlled. But will putting a sign up like this help – maybe?

“Electric bicycles are classified as vehicles in Pennsylvania” – no, they’re not!

E-bike use in Pennsylvania is primarily governed by Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code

Pennsylvania Definition: An e-bike in Pennsylvania is a bicycle with an electric motor, max 750 watts, that is capable of propelling the bike up to 20 mph, and must have fully functional pedals.
Classification: E-bikes meeting these criteria are treated as bicycles under the law, not as motor vehicles.

General Rules for E-Bikes

Age: You must be at least 16 years old to operate an e-bike.
Registration & Licensing: No special license, registration, or insurance is required for e-bikes.
Road Use: E-bikes are permitted on roads and bike lanes, and riders must obey all traffic laws, the same as cyclists.

“Their use is strictly prohibited within Perkasie Borough’s parks and bike paths” – because they say so. There is no other good rationale, except to keep renegade kids off the trails. AND there is no supporting ordinance to back this up!

And finally, Perkasie includes a link (E-Bikes in PA) in their message to the DCNR recreation page which states:

“E-bikes are allowed on trails already open to traditional bicycle usage as long as users follow guidelines consistent with the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code that e-bikes:

Weigh no more than 100 pounds
Do not exceed 20 miles-per-hour using the motor
Have motors that do not exceed 750 watts
Have fully functional, operable pedals

E-bikes can be used on DCNR-managed trails where traditional bikes are allowed.”

So what’s really going on here? Kids! They’re doing what kids have always done, but now with new, more powerful equipment, and in congested areas where people and pets are in danger. Kids have parents, and this really is a parenting problem first and foremost.

So what’s to be done about it? NOT, and I repeat, NOT a ban on responsible individuals riding electric pikes on trails where federal and state laws permit it. That’s just dumb and short-sighted. What I propose first is going back to the original “No Motor Vehicles” signage. That is intended to keep ALL ‘vehicles’ off the trail that don’t comply with federal and state laws. And maybe a brief explanation of what those laws state should be included on these signs to better inform.

Second, create a voluntary safety training and registration process for responsible electric bicycle owners. Once registered, permission to use local trails will be granted so long as the rider operates equipment covered by federal and state law AND obeys all applicable laws when operating on trails and streets. This is essentially a get out of jail free card while operating an e-bike in a place they should be able to legally ride anyway.

Third, impound EVERY e-bike that is operating illegally on streets and trails, and fine the parents when it involves a minor. Every parent will claim they didn’t know about the law and that they had no idea their lovely child was doing such lawless things with their new toy. Don’t buy the excuses. This stuff is all over the news so they ARE aware…

Fourth, get responsible riders back on the bike paths in Perkasie and surrounding areas. MOST riders are responsible and I dare say most e-bike riders ride slower than their non-motorized counterparts. Many of us even ride without power most of the time because the trials are flat and don’t require the extra power. Question: If I’m riding an e-bike with Power Off, am I still riding an e-bike? Probably yes, but I asked this to a guy who was doing exactly this and he claimed he was OK on the trail because he had power turned off. Interesting…

The other reason for keeping responsible e-bikes on the path is for safety. More trail users make for a safer trail for everyone. We look out for each other, interact with each other, and can respond quickly if there’s an issue.

And finally, everyone, regardless of conveyance should act safely and responsibly. I propose an informal and voluntary safety classification for bicycle and e-bike riders where riders can get some medical response training and understand all the rules of the road so they can coach others on safe practices if they see someone doing something crazy and unsafe. When training is complete, not only can these individuals use bike paths that might otherwise be restricted, but they would also receive a reflective vest they would be expected to wear at all times on the trail. This would give others the confidence that these people are supposed to be here and they can request assistance if desired. I think this would be a welcome thing if it meant trails in the area are no longer off limits, and participants could be of service to their community as well.

I’m going to stop here. I’m REALLY bothered by dumb knee-jerk reactions to kids being stupid on these mini pocket rockets, and their clueless parents. But the onus is on Perkasie and East Rockhill administration to figure out how to deal with the real problem while not penalizing the 98% of us that are doing nothing wrong or illegal. And they’re not alone. Many communities are trying to deal with this same issue, so I understand. But let’s think this through and come up with some better solutions.

** Update **

Remember that picture I showed at the beginning of this post? The one that says “E-Bikes…Prohibited”? Yeah, that one. Well now there are 3 signs in total, all in East Rockhill Township. However, this is interesting because East Rockhill Township doesn’t have an ordinance that addresses e-bikes specifically. Their Ordinance § 15-1202 addresses “recreational vehicles” which they seem to want to apply to e-bikes as well. The ordinance includes examples of recreational vehicles (which includes neither bicycles nor electric bicycles) and goes on to say: “Recreational vehicles shall not be operated on any sidewalk or within the right-of-way of any public or private street being maintained or used as a thoroughfare for legally licensed vehicular traffic unless the operator has a valid operator’s license and the recreational vehicle is properly registered and licensed with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a motor vehicle.”

So by East Rockhill grouping e-bikes into the ‘recreational vehicle’ category, e-bikes are not legally permitted to operate on trails OR public roads. So you see the issue here, not just for the inconvenience to the e-bike owner, but for the enforceability of the ordinance and associated signage? Since federal and state law consider Class 1 and 2 e-bikes to be bicycles, by definition they fall outside the ‘recreation vehicle’ category and must be considered legal on these trails regardless of the signage.

And for that matter, Perkasie has similar rules about ‘vehicles‘, and by grouping e-bikes under this heading feel they can exclude vehicles of ANY type from using their trails. They haven’t posted signs as East Rockhill has, but the police CrimeWatch site states specifically that e-bikes are considerd ‘vehicles’ and are thereby restricted from using Perkasie trails. Here again, I have a hard time believing that they can actually enforce their rules unless someone on an e-bike is doing something blatently stupid or illegal (remember, ‘bicycles’ are held to the same standard as other vehicles on the road and can be cited for breaking vehicular traffic laws).

** update – Doylestown figured this out and is doing it right! **

A few years ago, while living in the Doylestown, PA area, I attended a few Bike and Hike Committee meetings (Meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 8:00 am in the Caucus Room at the Doylestown Township Municipal Building). At the time there was growing interest in dealing with the surge of electric bicycles, as well as other electric conveyances like electric skateboards, scooters, one-wheels, Segways, etc. The result was a revised ordinance published in 2023 for the Bucks County Parks System entitled Ordinance No. 170 as well as ongoing work on a Doylestown Township draft “Trail User Code“. Excerpts from both follow:

ORDINANCE NO. 170 – Enacted January 18, 2023

S7 Operation of Bicycles, E-bikes, and E-scooters