Paved trails at Cape Cod National Seashore, such as the Province Lands Bike Trail, seem reasonable for eBikes, but the Park Service needs to study all aspects of increased eBike access/NPS
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is forcing the National Park Service's hand by telling the agency to give greater access to eBikes with just 30 days to study the matter, a time period that doesn't possibly allow park staff to thoroughly consider all the facets of the issue.
Point in case: Cuyahoga Valley National Park on Monday announced a week-long public comment period on whether the motorized bikes should be allowed on trails that are open to muscle-powered bikes.
One week. Never can we recall such a short public comment period for any issue in the park system, let alone one that could have profound impacts.
At least Cuyahoga Valley is offering a public comment period. Bryce Canyon National Park officials apparently used the eBike template the Washington, D.C., headquarters provided. But on Monday when they announced that eBike riders could use the park's Shared Use Path, their website still said eBikes were banned from the path because they "are considered motor vehicles under 36 CFR, they are not permitted on the Shared Use Path."
There's little, if any, doubt that eBikes make the outdoors more accessible for individuals with limited mobility, be it due to arthritis or some other medical condition. Indeed, quite a few comments on past eBike stories on the Traveler have pointed out how the bikes have improved their users' quality of life.
But at the same, there also are studies pointing to the dangers of eBikes in general. Problems related to motors with lithium batteries that can catch fire, riders accidentally pulling the throttle too much, eBikers coming up silently on pedestrians or other trail users (In China they have been dubbed the “Silent Killers” because many times a pedestrian will walk in front of an electric bike without hearing it coming.).
In August, an eBike rider was killed in New York City when they collided with a pedestrian in Central Park. In Switzerland, officials reported that "deaths and serious injuries for users of e-bikes went up" in 2018 over the year before.
There are other stories that raise concerns.
"Older men on e-bikes behind rising death toll among Dutch cyclists" read the headline from a 2018 story in The Guardian.
"E-bikes not more dangerous but elderly are more at risk" headlined a story in the Dutch News.
"E-bikes, other motorized vehicles voted down on JoCo parks trails," reported the Kansas City Star back in December 2018. "...the majority of the board expressed concerns about safety, speed and whether even the county’s paved trails are wide enough to carry walkers, regular bikers and motorized vehicles," the article noted. "They also said they warned that allowing e-bikes and e-unicycles on the trails would eventually lead to groups asking for a wider range of even more powerful and disruptive devices."
Google "ebike accidents" in news stories and you'll find more stories, pro and con, concerning eBike use.
The point, of course, is that the Park Service can't possibly do a complete review of the safety of these motorized bikes to their users, and other trail users, in a week. And decide whether trails should be open to all three classes of eBikes, including motorized mountain bikes that can reach 28 mph, or just some of the classes. Most recreational cyclists on their muscle-powered mounts don't come close to reaching 28 mph. Does it make sense to allow e-MTN bikes on trails with pedestrians and slower traditional bikes?
There very well may be some trails where eBike use makes complete sense. The paved Province Lands Bike Trail at Cape Cod National Seashore might be a great candidate. The Mammoth Cave Railroad Bike and Hike Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park might not be a good one, as park staff notes that "this is not a uniformly flat, level trail. You are traveling in hilly country, and must ascend and descend grades that can in places be steep and difficult." Another good one could be the Westside Road at Mount Rainier National Park, where a bit more than 9 miles are closed to vehicular traffic but open to cyclists and pedestrians.
But should eBikes be allowed on the asphalt Lone Star Trail at Yellowstone National Park, or along the paved path that runs from Old Faithful Inn down to Morning Glory Pool? If both are opened to eBikes, how many eBikes can those pathways, popular with pedestrians, handle?
Indeed, in parks where there are trails open to muscle-powered bikes, and so under consideration for eBikes, the Park Service needs to determine how many businesses will jump at the chance to rent eBikes, and in turn how many eBike cyclists might descend on the trails. Will such a possible increase generate conflicts with other users?
Aging does diminish our reflexes and our strength, and health issues that otherwise might keep eBike users from cycling on trails could increase risks, as some of the news stories cited above underscore. On the other end of the age spectrum, might young children who have not yet fully developed skills to ride eBikes also contribute to safety risks?
No doubt, there are areas within the National Park System where eBikes can be accommodated. But giving the parks just 30 days to look into all the related issues, and the general public as little as seven days to raise comments, seems shortsighted.
As with any other new use in the parks, the question of where eBikes can travel, and all the impacts they might pose, need to be thoroughly studied before that access, if merited, is granted.
Comments
I absolutely am, and I think that its absolutely vital to make sure that stupid individuals dont ruin this for everyone. However, your reporting is only going to make things worse. Class 1 ebikes represent absolutley no difference to standard bikes or horse bike riders other than you may have more people taking part in the activity. They will actually benefit the environment (which I am a big fan of) and may even benefit the parks by posibly reducing the gas engine riders who may move to ebikes and possibly reduce noise impact as well (also a big fan of). Having a defiant "not in my backyard" attitude towards the trails is only self serving and will only cause fractures that in the end will hurt honest regulation and reasonable conversation of the facts.
Well said, Mr. Repanshek; all seriousness aside, there are lots of people with strong opinions on both sides of this issue and for good reasons in many cases, which is exactly why all interested segments of the public need to have the opportunity to provide input and the issue must be formally and rigorously studied and assessed before any decisions are made. It is never a good idea to make governance decisions based solely on truth by emphatic assertion, despite the tendency of the current administration and the party that backs it to do so. The various potential types and classes of electric motorbikes need to be assessed along with their different impacts with regard to the resources, safety, and potential secondary social and economic effects. That information needs to be cross-referenced against the NPS mission, then against the mission of, the conditions in, the management and enforcement capabilities at, and finally the existing regulations and why those existing regulations were imposed in each park unit where varieties of this kind of equipment might be allowed. Once all of that study has been done, and I bet most of it hasn't even been started, then proper regulations and controls must be promulgated along with any budget, staffing, or other resource adjustments needed to properly implement those newly required regulations and policies. Come on, people, this is not rocket science; it's just what adults need to do to implement good governance, which is why the current administration and the party that backs it hasn't done it, can't do it, but can be relied upon to make a big show of refusing to do it on trumped up (he, he, he) grounds that there is some spiritual reason to not do it when the real reason is that they are so disgustingly poorly educated, inept, and incompetent that they don't know how to even start to do it.
Except that the whole reason its an issue, is beacuse the doi had to make a rule to prevent these "conservatives" from handing out fines to ebike riders. Class 1 EBIKES are not MOTORCYCLES the are bicycles with peddle assist and they cut out at a certain speed that is no faster than a standard bike. There wouldnt have been a knee jerk reaction if they wouldnt have started out by handing out rediculous tickets for nothing, with no facts to back it up.
100% agree! This article is SO far off I'm embarrassed for the magazine and author.
The misinformation is overflowing. I'm an old guy who now gets to ride in the outdoors because my eBike (fat tire) allows for it. I did years on MTB', motorcycles and dirt bikes. To try to lump them together is ridiculous. I feel really stupid that I have actually donated to some of the organizations that support banning eBikes. The idea that their hard fought goals for trail access now excludes me only loses them an ally. These are "Public" lands for all to use responsibly and until irresponsible behavior or activity can be demonstrated all should have access.
"After all they ARE actual 'motocycles'".
No they are ebikes. They have a new name becuase they are not motorcycles, or else we would call them that. A 50cc motorcycle (which is barely a motorcycle btw) is equivalent to 2500 watts of power, where as the most powerful ebike you can buy 'legally' with the ebike designation is 750 watts while most are only 250 - 500 watts. There is no comparison. Mine for example is 250 watts, silent and requires pedaling. Sorry your just plain wrong.
I can go just as fast downhill on my normal bike as I can on an ebike. All the reasons against allowing ebikes are idiotic. As some who rides Mountain bikes, dirt bikes, and has ridden ebikes - ebikes and mountain bikes are that different to warrant banning them, and ebikes are DEFINITELY nothing like actual motorcycles.
Class 1 (Peddle Assist) ebikes should be immediately allowed. It is all out ridiclious that there is this big of an issue with them. It reminds me of all the fear, gloom and doom over allowing snowboarders on ski resorts. Once allowed, it wasn't an issue. We are like the only country that is hesitatnt about class 1 ebikes. Switzerland, France, Spain and Andorra have zero issues with them on single track trails. Stop the gloom and doom and open up ebikes to single tracks nationwide.