Different kinds of e-bikes
Some critics who opposed the law are calling on the Legislature to amend it. Several cycling enthusiasts argue that e-bikes with smaller motors do not pose the same danger as larger, faster ones.
Mike Gray, owner of Sourland Cycles in Hopewell, said the initial proposal was designed to improve the safety of large e-bikes, but that the final measure that was enacted goes way beyond that.
“It lumps all the bikes into one category, meaning the people that use them for commuting or recreation now have the same hurdles of insurance, registration and driver’s license as those who drive the high-speed bikes,” he said.
He said the new law disenfranchises a significant number of e-bike users.
“If people don’t have a driver’s license, there’s nothing in the law about how they’re going to register their e-bike,” he said. “And car insurance is an expensive hurdle, it’s going to create another burden when we’re trying to get more cars off the road.”
The law negatively impacts older cyclists
Steve Giocondo, an older Jersey resident who lives in Stockton, said he can understand the idea of regulating larger, more powerful e-bikes with throttles. Giocondo owns a smaller model that is pedal-assisted with no throttle. He said he uses the motor when he’s on a steep hill.
“I suppose I could get off my bike and push it up the hill, but to register it and ensure it? That doesn’t make sense,” he said. “I haven’t seen a dangerous incident, and I’ve never had a dangerous incident, so I don’t get it.”
Mary Schmidt, a retired public school teacher who lives in Hopewell Township, is in a similar predicament and said state officials have gone “far with the new law.” “The e-bike that I own is limited to 20 miles an hour and it’s pedal-assist,” she said. “I don’t think that a bike like this should require me to have extra insurance or a driver’s license.”
“Many customers are asking us, ‘What do I do? Do we have registration forms? Can you give me the certificate that I need?’ Nobody is ready for this,” Gray of Sourland Cycles said. “We haven’t heard any information from our insurance company or the national bike dealer’s association; no one is sure what happens next.”
