GOOSE CREEK — A proposed ordinance restricting the use of electric bicycles was put on hold by City Council amid concerns over how the rule would impact people who use the vehicles to commute to work.
The ordinance would ban individuals from riding of e-bikes on roadways with a posted speed limit above 30 mph. The rule would also require riders under the age of 18 to wear a helmet, for all e-bikes to have a brake that “enables the operator to cause the braked wheels to skid on dry, level, clean pavement” and front and rear lamps for nighttime usage.
The ordinance contains mixed messaging regarding the use of e-bikes on sidewalks, with one section stating riders who use an e-bike on a sidewalk “shall exercise due care for the safety of others using the sidewalk” and yield to pedestrians. But in another section the rule states riding e-bikes on sidewalks is completely banned within city limits, although that rule wouldn’t apply to wider, multi-use paths that are designed for bicycle traffic.
The punishment for violating the ordinance would be a fine up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail, which is the standard municipal ordinance penalty in South Carolina.
State law defines “electric assist bicycles” as bicycles with a motor of up to 750 watts or one horsepower and a top motor-powered speed of 20 mph. The law also requires manufacturers and distributors of e-bikes to put permanent labels on the vehicles stating their wattage and top speed.
Opinions about the ordinance are mixed. Some residents said they think e-bikes should have limits similar to mopeds — which are generally allowed on most roads and require a license to operate under state law — while others said they should be allowed on sidewalks and kept off of roadways. Some also expressed concerns about what the rule would mean for commuters.
Resident and small business owner Lisa Sitterly Trill told The Post and Courier that she is supportive of the safety gear requirements in the proposal but has reservations about the impact on people who use e-bikes to get to work or the grocery store.
“There are so many businesses on roads like St. James and Red Bank with speed limits above 30 mph that e-bikes wouldn’t be able to access with this ordinance,” she said, adding that she hasn’t seen any problems caused by e-bikes that haven’t also been caused by regular bicycles.
Mayor Gregory Habib expressed similar concerns during City Council’s Dec. 9 meeting, during which he said he had troubled rationalizing regulations for e-bikes that surpass those for normal bicycles. He said he almost did not put the ordinance on the meeting’s agenda so that council and city staff could refine it further.
“I’m struggling with it being a greater regulation for this e-bike than it is for a moped … and certainly a greater regulation than a person on a bike. They can all be in these places and we’re going to legislate an e-bike,” he said. “That doesn’t mean I minimize the problems and the chaos that e-bikes have started to cause, which has been somewhat significant.”
Habib said he thinks the Statehouse should consider further regulation on the e-bikes before action is taken at the municipal level.
Council ultimately voted down the proposal. However, they opted to have another workshop session for it in January before returning it to council for a vote in February.
E-bike regulation has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Mount Pleasant, the fourth-largest municipality in the state, has an ordinance regulating the usage of e-bikes. In 2023, the town passed the ordinance after two 12-year-olds sharing an e-bike reportedly struck and killed a small dog. The rule was revised in August to allow police to ticket minors in violation of the ordinance and increase the sidewalk speed limit for e-bikes to 12 mph.
Mount Pleasant’s ordinance does allow e-bike usage on sidewalks for minors and adults accompanying them. Anyone can ride on a shared-use paths at least 8 feet wide, on a sidewalk adjacent to roads with no bike path, or on sidewalks adjacent to roads with a speed limit of 30 mph or greater.
