North Americas most Electric Bicycle UNFRIENDLY City

[mattrb]

When Cops see my Phasor ebike in the Chi I always pedal or coast. Keep it under 20 too. My freewheel is clicky loud so they just get confused.

If I want to go 40-45 on the street I keep a lookout for police and then brake to a reasonable 20. I really need to get a rear mirror to get better view of them.

 

[LockH]

Ohhh! Message (email) from our (?) Mayor again! In part:

Dear Friends,

This week the City of Toronto approved its 2014 budget. As you know, I have been fighting hard to keep the 2014 tax increase at an affordable 1.75%, a rate that was discussed and agreed to almost a year ago.

(Ebiker waving his hands wildly) Mister Major! I'm an ebiker... I have a simple answer, and the savings to the citizens of Toronto are waaay more huge!)

 

[LockH]

Park City, Utah parks "manager" employees, come on down!
http://www.parkrecord.com/park_city...y-implements-e-bike-rules-under-pilot-program

"City implements e-bike rules under pilot program"
(Subtitled "Pilot program allows them on multi-use pathways")

Stuff like:

An eight-month electric bicycle "pilot project" was unanimously approved by the Park City Council on Thursday, April 16.

"...the city has been studying them since at least October 2013, when it commissioned a study by a traffic engineering and transportation planning firm."
(Said "transportation planning" folks may all drive cars to work.)

"The speed limit will be 14.5 miles per hour, lower than the proposed limit of 20 mph that was proposed by city staffers last May."
(Ebikers may be passed by young children on pedal-only bikes.)

(Utah State)"...requires a driver's license to operate one."
!!!

"The staff report prepared for City Council describes the state laws as "at minimum incredibly confusing" in their classification of e-bikes."

HUH???

"modeled on a similar pilot program recently enacted in Boulder, Colorado."

Did NOT know that.

Article end with long list of trails where "ebikes permitted", plus
"E-bikes prohibited:
Farm Trails (SR-224 around McPolin Barn)
Rail Trail - east (Prospector/SR-248, per State Parks policy) "

 

[LockH]

Pitkin County, Colorado parks "manager" employees, come on down!
http://www.aspentimes.com/news/16024193-113/electric-avenue-not-so-fast-say-pitkin-county

"Electric Avenue? Not so fast, say Pitkin County trails officials"

Includes amusing stuff like:
"Dale Will, head of Open Space and Trails, said the county is taking it slow when it comes to electric bikes. He noted that in Europe, electric bicycles can hit speeds of up to 150 or 200 miles per hour."(!!!)

Ahhh... petty bureaucrats.