WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Watertown’s city manager is putting together a new planning group to address e-bike safety, following reports of near misses and crashes between drivers and e-bike riders.
The decision came after Monday night’s city council meeting, where Councilmember Doug Osborne highlighted a crash from the previous week that sent an 18-year-old to the hospital.
“It’s a public safety issue, and I really think it’s something that we need to address, especially getting into the warmer months here,” Osborne said.
City Manager Eric Wagenaar said the first step is defining the scope of the problem.
“With any of these things like this, the only answer to ‘how do you solve a problem,’ is identifying the problem,” Wagenaar said.
What the city wants to accomplish
Wagenaar said one of the biggest hurdles is getting the public to understand how the system should work.
E-bikes are required by law to travel on the sides of the road, not on sidewalks, and drivers are expected to pay attention when an e-bike is nearby.
“We just got to get those two groups, vehicle operators and electronic bicycle operators, to understand that we — there’s got to be an understanding that we have to be able to operate together, because they’re not going away,” Wagenaar said.
Riders weigh in
Dan Kruskie has used an e-bike as his primary form of transportation for several years.
“As long as you follow the rules of the road and, like I said, take heed to the — be cautious of the cars, then you’re fine,” Kruskie said.
City officials hope to have a new plan in place before spring arrives and more e-bike riders take to city streets.
Copyright 2026 WWNY. All rights reserved.
