Rhode Island lawmakers are considering a bill that would regulate e-bikes like regular bicycles. The measure has cleared the House, and if passed by the Senate, electric bicycles would be allowed in bike lanes and on bike paths. The legislation would bring Rhode Island in line with most other states – but some are concerned that it would pose a threat to bike riders and pedestrians. Morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with Kathleen Gannon, Board Chair at Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition. She explained that not all kinds of electric bikes would be included in this bill.
TRANSCRIPT:
Kathleen Gannon: We’re really defining three, a very narrow class of bicycles. And so it’s, it’s really three classes, one, two, and three. One of the things that, I mean, the thing that distinguishes these bikes from other bikes that have you know, assist, or electrical assist, or other kinds of assistant assistance incorporated into them is that they are strictly speed limited. And they’re speed limited, technically, speed-limited to max out at regular bicycle speeds. And this is one of the, this is the big reason, big reason why we consider these to be bicycles, it’s 20 and 28 miles an hour – which most cyclists can ride on occasion, sometimes. Those are the maximum speeds that they can get to. And so we consider them bicycles.
Luis Hernandez: So what do you say to the opposition who believe that, you know, these should be treated differently?
Gannon: I’ve seen a lot of people who are concerned about these bikes compare the maximum speed for these bicycles to the average speed of a regular bicycle. And that’s just, you know, not the way to compare it. And so these bikes, while they have, they have a maximum speed that is, I’m telling you, the same as a traditional non-assist bike, most people in most circumstances cannot go that fast. The classes one and three have pedal assist, and you get no assist unless you’re actually pedaling. So when you coast, you’re just coasting at the regular speed, just like a regular bike. It’s just a tiny bit of a boost. And so it does help people who have mobility issues, or are maybe not quite as fit, or are new, you know, back to biking after a long period of time and aren’t really ready for a regular bike or all different kinds of things. They’re simply bicycles, they also, let’s just remember, are equipped with brakes, just like regular bikes. There are people operating them, so people use their own judgment about how fast to go in certain circumstances. If a path, say, is crowded, they’ll go slower. And the other thing I just want to point out is that we operate under a very simple rule, and that is that on multi-use paths in particular, pedestrians have the right of way at all times, regardless of how the bicycle is powered.
Hernandez: They are obviously concerns about safety on the road just with bicycles and cars. Do you see the e-bike adding to this problem or maybe helping us to put a separation between the two, if the bill passes and e-bikes are seen the same way as bicycles?
Gannon: Well, let me just first off say that e-bikes are here, we’re already sharing the paths and the roads with electric bicycles as things stand. The Rhode Island Bicycle Coalition firmly stands behind separated and protected bike lanes everywhere, and that everyone should have access to safe, separated ways to use a bike, regardless of how it’s powered, to get from place to place. And I actually think, yeah, all the danger on the road comes from car, from drivers, people in cars. The cars are the danger, the cars are the very heavy, very large, very big, very powerful vehicle on the road, whether something has an assist or not. I think in some individual circumstances where someone perhaps could be a little bit more nimble on an electric bike than they might be able to manage on a traditional bike could help them personally, but it’s about separating the modes of transportation, bicycles and cars.
