Opinion | Bikes make life freer. These laws could change that.

"A bicycle doesn't require a license, registration, insurance or fuel. You don't need an app or a subscription. You just get on and go. In an era when your car can track where you drive and report it to your insurance company, the freedom a bicycle offers is appealing. It is a form of transportation available to children, grandparents, minimum-wage workers, and anyone with legs and a sense of balance."

"E-bikes extend that freedom. Those who can't manage hills anymore can ride again. Someone who lives a little too far from work for a regular bike suddenly has another option for the commute. E-bikes make the world bigger for more people. But policymakers are hard at work designing regulations that curtail this freedom."

"Last month, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed the most restrictive e-bike bill in the country into law. Every e-bike rider in the Garden State - including those on pedal-assisted models - now needs a license, registration and insurance. Riders must be at least 15 years old. The law was rushed through the legislature and signed on Murphy's last full day in office, over the objections of cycling and transportation groups."

Bicycles represent a unique form of transportation offering genuine freedom without licenses, registration, insurance, or fuel requirements. E-bikes extend this freedom to those unable to manage hills or travel longer distances, making mobility accessible to children, elderly people, and low-income workers. However, policymakers are increasingly restricting e-bike use through regulations. New Jersey recently enacted the nation's most restrictive e-bike law, requiring licenses, registration, and insurance for all e-bike riders, with a minimum age of 15. The legislation was rushed through and signed despite opposition from cycling and transportation groups. While justified on safety grounds following a fatal collision, these regulations threaten to curtail the expanded mobility e-bikes provide to vulnerable populations.

Read at The Washington Post