ANDOVER, MA — Citing fatal crashes, growing public confusion and a spike in local complaints, state Sen. Barry Finegold is again urging lawmakers and manufacturers to establish clear statewide standards for electric bicycles.
The Andover senator on Monday highlighted two recent Massachusetts deaths — a 13-year-old killed in Stoneham and a pedestrian fatally struck in Boston’s Copley Square — as examples of why new regulations are needed. Local departments, including Andover Police, report daily complaints involving e-bikes and other micro-mobility devices. In September, Andover Police said they were stepping up enforcement after a surge in unsafe riding and quality-of-life issues.
“E-bikes are growing in popularity, but the rules of the road are unclear,” Finegold said in a statement. “They aren’t bicycles or motorcycles, but somewhere in the middle. … Communities do not know the rules of e-bikes; therefore, enforcement is problematic.”
Finegold said the rise in crashes underscores the need for legislation requiring manufacturers to follow consistent design, safety and marketing standards — rules he says will help communities enforce the law and better protect riders and pedestrians.
“With e-bike crashes on the rise, it’s not acceptable anymore for manufacturers to operate in a regulatory vacuum,” he said.
A statewide Special Commission on Micro-Mobility is developing a new classification framework for e-bikes and other devices, and is expected to submit recommendations to the Legislature in January.
