HP Council Salutes First Responders, Regulates E-Bikes
The Town Council meeting opened with Mayor Will C. Beecherl reading a proclamation recognizing Oct. 28 as National First Responders Appreciation Day.
Council members also passed an amendment to the Town Code of Ordinances in regard to operation and restriction of electric bicycles, or E-bikes, after determining the necessity to regulate and restrict their operation in an effort to safeguard the public, citing, among other rationale, the increasing number of E-bike operators without drivers licenses lacking knowledge of the rules of the road and operating at high speeds.
The measures to restrict E-bike use by children and adolescents is supported by The American College of Surgeons (ACS), the organization stating in a February 2024 report that the rise in E-bike use among the demographic presents, “a significant public health challenge due to the associated increase in injuries and fatalities.”
The amendment to the Town Code of Ordinances will restrict E-bike operation to licensed drivers and require that all E-bike operators in town obtain a valid permit for their E-bike from the town Department of Public Safety. Those seeking a permit will be required to provide a valid drivers license, the address where the E-bike will be kept, and a serial number or identification number of the E-bike. The ordinance further requires anyone under the age of 21 to wear a helmet when operating an E-bike, and prohibits riding E-bikes on sidewalks.
Council members set the ordinance’s effective date for Jan. 1, 2025, allowing time for messaging with the public, coordination of process development, and permit/emblem manufacture.
