Its not only the cities who are against ebikes, I have two trikes , homebuilt, both are hybred, human and electric powered,
here are some emails between me and the MTO
Thank you for your e-mail.Can you please send us the pictures? -----Original Message-----From: Rodney Shears [mailto:rodneyshears@hotmail.com] Sent: September 12, 2008 9:52 AMTo: MTOINFO, St. Catharines (MTO)Subject: E-Bikes - SM Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted byRodney Shears (rodneyshears@hotmail.com) on Friday, September 12, 2008at 09:51:46--------------------------------------------------------------------------- subject: E-Bikes origin: Internet, MTO INFO mail: 264 Watson Ave. Espanola ON. P5E 1B6 phone: 705-869-2435 comments: I have built delta trike, it is recombent style with over theseat handle bars. Main power is 12 speed bicycle gears( peddle power).It has an electric hub motor (200 watts) and will reach speeds of 25Kmph on electric alone( 35-40kmph with peddle assist.My problem is thatI do not feel safe driving it on the TCH. in Northern ON. (NO bicycle lanes, to much danger of being rear ended.)If the law werechanged to allow me to travel this vehicle at the speed limit or bicyclelanes were built I would be able to park my car and would be able tocomute to work ( 60KM.) on the trike. This trike is extreamly stable (Itwill turn 360 degrees in less than 25 ft and is almost impossable toflip.) and safe. With the recombent long wheel base style and over theseat handlebars it is impossable to be throwen over the handlebars,which is the major cause of injurys on bicycles. If I get a reply in regular email format I will send pictures.
I did send the pictures here is the response.
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FW: E-Bikes - SMâ€Â
From: MTOINFO, St. Catharines (MTO) (MTOINFO@ontario.ca)
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Sent: November 10, 2008 12:55:25 PM
To: rodneyshears@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Shears: Thank you for your e-mail about the delta trike you have built, whichyou also suggest is a power-assisted bicycle, also known as an electricbicycle ("e-bike"). For your information, Transport Canada, the agency responsible forestablishing vehicle standards and requirements for all vehicles thatare manufactured or imported into Canada, has defined a power-assistedbicycle as a vehicle that
has steering handlebars and is equipped with pedals;o is capable of being propelled by muscular power;o cannot travel on more than three wheels in contact with theground; o has one or more electric motors that have, singly or incombination, a power output rating of 500W or less and is incapable ofproviding further assistance when the bicycle attains a speed of32 km/h on level ground; ando bears a permanently affixed label by the manufacturer stating inboth official languages that the vehicle conforms to the federaldefinition of a power-assisted bicycle. Ontario began a three-year pilot on October 3, 2006 to evaluate howsafely electric bicycles ("e-bikes") can be safely integrated with othervehicles and pedestrians. For its duration, the pilot treats e-bikeslike conventional bicycles and e-bikes can be legally operated onOntario's roads where conventional bicycles are allowed. The onlyexceptions are that the riders must be 16 years of age or older and allriders must wear an approved bicycle helmet. For the purposes of the e-bike pilot, the province adopted the federaldefinition of a power-assisted bicycle. As a result, the requirementfor a manufacturer's compliance label as required by Transport Canadarenders home built e-bikes ineligible to be operated under Ontario'spower-assisted ("e-bike") pilot. For this reason, your device would notbe allowed on public roads under the e-bike pilot program. As part of our three-year pilot, the ministry will evaluate how safelythe e-bike can integrate with other road users and whether we need to bemore specific about vehicle requirements. No decisions have been madeat this time. The province is in the process of asking for feedbackfrom various stakeholders including environmental groups, bicyclinggroups, e-bike retailers, manufacturers, and importers, law enforcement,municipalities, safety advocates, and other ministries. Once the evaluation has been completed, any proposed changes to thecurrent operating requirements for e-bikes will be posted for publicfeedback on the Service Ontario, Ministry of Government Services,Regulatory Registry website, http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/. Weexpect to have any proposed changes ready to post on the RegulatoryRegistry early in the new year, at which time you may submit yourcomments. For further information on his and other vehicle types, I would ask thatyou check our ministry's website:http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/emerging. Thank you again for writing. Sincerely, Shazina(On behalf of Mutiisa) Customer Service Office
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FW: E-Bikes - SMâ€Â
From: MTOINFO, St. Catharines (MTO) (MTOINFO@ontario.ca)
You may not know this sender.Mark as safe|Mark as unsafe
Sent: November 10, 2008 12:55:25 PM
To: rodneyshears@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Shears: Thank you for your e-mail about the delta trike you have built, whichyou also suggest is a power-assisted bicycle, also known as an electricbicycle ("e-bike"). For your information, Transport Canada, the agency responsible forestablishing vehicle standards and requirements for all vehicles thatare manufactured or imported into Canada, has defined a power-assistedbicycle as a vehicle that
has steering handlebars and is equipped with pedals;o is capable of being propelled by muscular power;o cannot travel on more than three wheels in contact with theground; o has one or more electric motors that have, singly or incombination, a power output rating of 500W or less and is incapable ofproviding further assistance when the bicycle attains a speed of32 km/h on level ground; ando bears a permanently affixed label by the manufacturer stating inboth official languages that the vehicle conforms to the federaldefinition of a power-assisted bicycle. Ontario began a three-year pilot on October 3, 2006 to evaluate howsafely electric bicycles ("e-bikes") can be safely integrated with othervehicles and pedestrians. For its duration, the pilot treats e-bikeslike conventional bicycles and e-bikes can be legally operated onOntario's roads where conventional bicycles are allowed. The onlyexceptions are that the riders must be 16 years of age or older and allriders must wear an approved bicycle helmet. For the purposes of the e-bike pilot, the province adopted the federaldefinition of a power-assisted bicycle. As a result, the requirementfor a manufacturer's compliance label as required by Transport Canadarenders home built e-bikes ineligible to be operated under Ontario'spower-assisted ("e-bike") pilot. For this reason, your device would notbe allowed on public roads under the e-bike pilot program. As part of our three-year pilot, the ministry will evaluate how safelythe e-bike can integrate with other road users and whether we need to bemore specific about vehicle requirements. No decisions have been madeat this time. The province is in the process of asking for feedbackfrom various stakeholders including environmental groups, bicyclinggroups, e-bike retailers, manufacturers, and importers, law enforcement,municipalities, safety advocates, and other ministries. Once the evaluation has been completed, any proposed changes to thecurrent operating requirements for e-bikes will be posted for publicfeedback on the Service Ontario, Ministry of Government Services,Regulatory Registry website, http://www.ontariocanada.com/registry/. Weexpect to have any proposed changes ready to post on the RegulatoryRegistry early in the new year, at which time you may submit yourcomments. For further information on his and other vehicle types, I would ask thatyou check our ministry's website:http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/emerging. Thank you again for writing. Sincerely, Shazina(On behalf of Mutiisa) Customer Service Office
My response was that the trikes were legal under the law, they do have stickers attached by the manufacture, me, and the main motive of power is the peddles, I have not received any more response but I beleive that the person who wrote the last email should check Webster's for manufacturer
If at the end of this pilot study the ban the ebike we should do a protest ride on the ebikes from Kenora to Qween's park with as many bikes as we can get together.