Pittsfield Subcommittee Considers E-Bike Safety
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Some city councilors want to explore ways to encourage safe e-bike use.
On Monday, the Ordinances and Rules Subcommittee discussed the request by Councilor At Large Kathy Amuso and Ward 3 Councilor Matthew Wrinn to increase enforcement of bicycle and e-bike use on Pittsfield streets, install signage in high-traffic areas, and launch an educational program for kids.
Amuso has received reports of kids riding motorized bikes at 15 to 20 mph on the sidewalk while people are trying to back out of their driveways, and she fears someone might get hurt.
She said that if they could start with some basics, such as riding with traffic in bike lanes and requiring operators under 16 to wear helmets, it would address most of the calls.
"Do I think we need to put 10 police on trying to find e-bikes throughout the city? I don't," she said. "But there are enough calls that I'm getting, and other councilors are getting, that we have to say, ‘OK, what can we do?’ And we have a lot of bike lanes in Pittsfield, and the e-bikes and all bikes should be in the bike lanes, not on the sidewalk."
The petition was tabled so that the Department of Public Works can study it and gather further information.
In Massachusetts, an e-bike with a top speed of 20 mph and a motor of 750 watts or less is classified as a traditional bicycle. State law defines two e-bike classes:
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"Class 1 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to assist when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
- "Class 2 electric bicycle" is defined as having a motor of 750 watts or less that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle and is not capable of assisting when the bicycle reaches 20 mph.
Riders 16 years or younger must wear a helmet by law.
Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales said some new statewide e-bike regulations are in progress, and that it is difficult for police to distinguish between e-bike types and riders' ages.
"I’d like clarity on what we're looking for the outcome of having signage placed because not all e-bikes are made equal," he said.
Police Chief Marc Maddalena said the definition is kind of in limbo between 20 mph and 25 mph, which is the speed limit for a moped. Police issue Class 1 and 2 e-bikes the same $20 citation for violations.
Maddalena said that online bike purchases often don’t accurately describe the motor’s full power, and it’s "one of those things where technology has gone way too fast, and legislation hasn't been able to catch up."
"And so we're all struggling to try to get there," he said.
Bike safety was added to the school’s Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or D.A.R.E., Program.
Amuso said she would like to see sidewalk riding addressed, especially on corridors like Elm and Williams streets. Both councilors recognized that police have made efforts to address e-bike violations.
"I’m very happy that they are actively going after the people in the streets that are disrupting traffic and causing problems. So, for the general public that thinks that the police aren't doing anything, that's not true. That's not the case," Wrinn said.
"They are out there. They are enforcing it. They are active."
Tags: bicycle, ebikes, Pittsfield,
