With the rising use of electric bikes in the US, local and state governments are beginning to deal with the question of where, and how, to allow their use on trails, paths, and bike lanes that have historically been reserved exclusively for non-motorized use.



A bill pending in the California state legislature would offer governments some guidance on how to deal with the issue and open many of those trails and paths to e-bike use.



The newly opened paths could help spur more people to use bikes for transportation, as e-bike riders would have access to off-street paths and lanes. But some local governments have expressed concern about allowing e-bikes on non-motorized paths, particularly throttle-driven models that can propel a bike independently of a rider’s pedaling.



E-bikes first rose to prominence in the Asian and European markets; the US has been slower to catch on, but in 2012 (the most recent year for which the National Bicycle Dealers Association publicly discloses sales figures), there were over 90,000 e-bikes sold in the US, up from about 47,000 the previous year.

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The bill, AB-1096, currently in the lower house of the state legislature, is the first of its kind to be considered by a state government. It would replace part of California’s existing vehicle law that currently does not allow any motorized bike to be used on a non-motorized path (except where specifically allowed by local authorities).



The law, if passed, would split e-bikes from other motorized bikes and divide them into three categories:

-Category 1: a pedal-assisted electric bike with a top assisted speed of 20mph

-Category 2: pedal-assisted or propelled by a throttle (unassisted) with a top motor-driven speed of 20mph

-Category 3: pedal-assisted electric bike with a top assisted speed of 28mph



Of those three categories, the first two would now be allowed on bike paths, trails and lanes—any infrastructure where conventional bicycles are allowed. The bill provides local authorities the specific ability to limit or prohibit those uses.



A Category 3 electric bike or any bike with a non-electric motor would not be allowed on bike paths, but could still be used on-street bike lanes. The changes would apply to the state’s uniform vehicle code and would not affect access rules for off-road trails on open space or public lands.



The bill was crafted with input from the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and People for Bikes. California is the first state to take up the legislation, but the West Coast state has a history for being out front on many legislative issues. If it passes in California, it provides a blueprint for other states to follow.



On April 28, the amended bill passed out of the Assembly Transportation Committee on a 15-0 vote, with one member not voting. It now goes to the Appropriations Committee, although a reading and vote are not yet scheduled.

Joe Lindsey Joe Lindsey is a longtime freelance journalist who writes about sports and outdoors, health and fitness, and science and tech, especially where the three elements in that Venn diagram overlap.

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