An e-bike outside CVS Pharmacy in Mattituck. (Credit: Brendan Carpenter)
E-bikes and their more powerful cousins, electric dirt bikes, are becoming more common across the East End, and police say confusion over what is legal — and what isn’t — is creating safety concerns on local roads.
Riders can purchase the bikes online with little oversight, often without realizing that some models are not street-legal in New York. In the meantime, the rules on where they can be ridden vary by roadway.
Riverhead Police Chief Ed Frost said many riders — particularly teenagers — are using bikes that do not meet the state’s legal definition of an e-bike.
All legal e-bikes must have operable pedals, similar to a standard bicycle, otherwise they are classified as limited-use motorcycles, according to Riverhead police Sgt. Giuseppe Rosini.
“Some parents are buying these kids essentially electric dirt bikes, and they’re illegal no matter what on public roadways,” Mr. Rosini said. He advised that e-bike operators wear a helmet and obey all state and local traffic laws.
Last December, the Suffolk County Legislature adopted two laws banning e-bikes from sidewalks countywide and prohibiting them on roads with speed limits over 30 miles per hour, unless stricter local laws apply. Children under 15 years old are barred from riding e-bikes on public property or roadways.
The county law also requires e-bike operators to wear helmets while riding. In Riverhead, Chief Frost said e-bike users wear a helmet about 50% of the time.
Chief Frost said it is “unfortunate” there is no licensing procedure for e-bikes, leaving parents responsible for teaching their children the rules of the road.
Any e-bike with a motor over 750 watts or capable of speeds above 25 miles per hour is illegal to operate on public roads in New York, officials said. The 1,000-watt version of the Movcan V30, sold online, is one example of a model that would not be legal on public roads in the state.
“Parents are buying these bikes and scooters for people under 16, and they probably do not know New York State laws of travel on the roadways,” Chief Frost said.
Chart from New York State Department of Transportation with general traffic laws. (Graphic courtesy Department of Transportation)
Riverhead Town caps e-scooter speeds at 15 miles per hour and prohibits their use on Main Street between Court Street and Route 58. They are also banned from sidewalks and from the bicycle paths at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Recreational Trail in Calverton. Additionally, e-scooters cannot be ridden half an hour after sunset or a half hour before sunrise in Riverhead.
Despite the regulations, Riverhead police have seen teens aged 13 to 16 using electric dirt bikes in farm areas of town, according to Chief Frost. Officers have confiscated and impounded those vehicles.
While no pedestrians have been struck by an e-bike in the past year, there have been two motor vehicle accidents involving an e-scooter or e-bike during that span, Chief Frost said.
Riverhead Town Board will discuss draft legislation reflecting the county’s e-bike laws at its work session Thursday, April 16, as officials look to improve safety for riders, motorists and pedestrians.
“They’re quiet — you might not realize one’s coming if you’re walking and you see a vehicle,” Chief Frost said. “There could be a collision between a pedestrian and one of these bikes.”
Southold Police Chief Steven Grattan said similar concerns are emerging across the North Fork.
“It seems to be a growing problem as they become more popular,” Chief Grattan said. “We had some complaints last year, particularly during the warmer months of kids on e-bikes operating in the roadways and just presenting a hazardous and dangerous situation.”
In Southold, e-bikes of 750 watts or less may be used on town roads with 30 mph speed limits, Chief Grattan said, but should not be used on higher-speed roads such as Routes 25 and 48, where speed limits range from 45 to 55 miles per hour.
Chief Grattan said 16- and 17-year-olds riding illegally could receive citations, while riders 15 and younger could have their bikes confiscated at a cost incurred by their parents.
