"Advocates for micro-mobility aren't sure why well-educated and well-staffed politicians aren't able to educate themselves on a widely used product that has been regulated by the state since 2020. "That gap in knowledge is what worries a lot of bicycle advocates," Noah Miterko, senior manager of state and local policy at People for Bikes told Streetsblog after an extraordinary hearing on e-bikes on Thursday."
""We just saw an incredibly reactive bill in New Jersey that won't do anything to address the concerns that the sponsor was trying to address. ... They basically just lumped all low-speed electric bicycles into a vehicle category requiring license, registration (and) insurance, and I think that's an example of what can go wrong." Thursday's hearing on e-bike had elements of tragicomedy and farce, as state lawmakers went in unsure, in some cases, what e-bikes even are."
Assembly Transportation Committee members showed strong interest in regulating e-bikes but demonstrated limited understanding of what e-bikes are and of current state regulations. Micro-mobility advocates expressed concern that well-educated, well-staffed politicians failed to learn about a product regulated since 2020. Noah Miterko warned that reactive bills, like a New Jersey proposal, can miscategorize low-speed electric bicycles and impose licensing, registration, and insurance requirements that do not address intended concerns. A legislative hearing included lawmakers asking the DMV to explain e-bike definitions and confusion about differences between e-bikes and motorcycles. New York class system distinguishes Class I, II, and III by assist, throttle, and top speeds.
Read at Streetsblog
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