05/12/2026
For over fifteen years, I have built and utilized electric bicycles, watching them evolve into a sophisticated, viable solution for alternative transportation. I am writing to express my profound frustration regarding the recent trend of municipalities enacting blanket bans on these vehicles. Squashing a common-sense technology because of the actions of a few "bad apples" is not just a failure of governance—it is a direct step backward for our environmental and transit goals.
The current issue is not the technology; it is a total lack of enforcement. We do not outlaw cars because some drivers exceed the speed limit; we ticket the offender. By banning e-bikes from rights-of-way, you are forcing responsible commuters into a dangerous choice between high-speed vehicle traffic or losing their mobility altogether.
Instead of prohibition, I urge you to support:
Behavioral Enforcement: Consistently enforce existing speed limits (such as the 10 mph rule near pedestrians) regardless of the vehicle type.
Infrastructure Investment: Create dedicated "middle-ground" lanes for micromobility that separate high-speed traffic from pedestrians without excluding e-bikes.
Targeted Regulation: Focus enforcement on out-of-class "electric motorcycles" that masquerade as bicycles, rather than punishing the standard 750W builds that serve as legitimate car alternatives.
We are at a crossroads for "Green America." We should be building pathways that facilitate the future of transit, not strangling progress to avoid the work of street-level enforcement. I ask that you protect our rights-of-way and prioritize smart regulation over broad prohibition.
