Some Newark residents are calling for enforcement of the city’s electric bike laws amid safety concerns with police claiming more people are modifying them to travel at high speeds.
Newark Police Chief Erik McKee told The Advocate the department is experiencing an increase in complaints from residents reporting that people are riding the bikes too fast through their neighborhoods. The growing concerns led the department to post on social media about the city’s e-bike ordinance, which McKee said he believes some people are violating.
McKee did not have immediate numbers on the amount of complaints the department has received or if anyone has been cited for violating the ordinance. Newark city code states e-bikes can’t be modified to change their top speeds and people can’t operate motorized bikes at more than 20 miles per hour.
The issue is widespread enough that Newark police are aware of people making reports from various areas around the city, McKee said.
“With these new modifications, they’re going faster, faster and faster,” McKee said. “Then you also have this secondary problem of these electronic motorcycles, which are not e-bikes at all. You can put a modification on them and they’ll go up to 70 miles per hour. I think every kid must have gotten one for Christmas because it really exploded this year.”
Multiple residents at a Newark City Council meeting May 18 shared their concerns with the motorized vehicles, including Lynda Abbott. She told council members she’s concerned an e-bike or motorcycle user might harm someone due to high-speed usage and urged them to at least discuss the issue for possible solutions.
Abbott in an interview also cited a recent case in which an 81-year-old man in California died after being struck by an e-motorcycle that a 14-year-old boy had been illegally using, according to police. Prosecutors charged the mother of the child with involuntary manslaughter, and the case is ongoing.
Prosecutors allege the mother knew the risks associated with using the e-motorcycle and that her son could not legally possess or ride it.
“I’m a firm believer that it needs to be addressed,” Council member Doug Marmie, R-6th Ward, said. “Especially with the youth, who are using them and modifying them – there’s going to be an accident, and it’s just a matter of when, not if. I think we need to do everything we can possibly do to create a safe environment for everyone.”
The code states that a person operating such a vehicle must have a license and that parents of teens under 18 have a responsibility to ensure they don’t violate e-bike and e-motorcycle laws. People also must not operate them on sidewalks – McKee said some people have reported seeing kids use them in those areas.
“When they talk about these kids operating them, it’s really the parents’ responsibility that they shouldn’t have got that for their kid,” McKee said. “These things are traveling in excess of what a normal vehicle would, and yet they’re unlicensed, uninsured. There’s a whole gamut of laws that they’re violating just by letting the kids out on these things.”
The department plans to increase its enforcement of the ordinance, but it’s unclear what that might look like, considering Newark police have fewer personnel, McKee said.
Enforcement must also consider the different classifications of e-bikes. Those in class 1 and class 2 are allowed on multi-use paths, unless local code restricts them, and generally only can travel around 20 mph using pedals. Some bikes in class 2 have throttles to help them go faster while class 3 bikes are usually restricted from shared-use paths, including in Newark.
McKee said it’s possible some e-bikes don’t have the classification listed on them, making it a bit more difficult for officers to assess their legality in multi-use spaces. It also may be tough to tell if they are modified, but officers generally can tell visually if certain models are traveling faster than they should, he said.
McKee also suggested the department might impound more of the vehicles as well. Newark city code states police can impound the vehicles for up to 60 days if an officer determines a person violated the law while using it.
Newark City Council member Beth Bline, R-2nd Ward, said during the meeting that Newark would need to find its own type of solutions to address the issue.
“We can create laws that fit our city and things that work for Newark – let’s do that,” Bline said. “If we have to start impounding these things, holding parents accountable, that’s what we need to do. That’s exactly what we need to do.”
Advocate reporter Josué Perez can be reached at jhperez@newarkadvocate.com.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark residents seek enforcement of city’s e-bike, e-motorcycle laws
Reporting by Josué Perez, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
