Joining Ketchum and Hailey, the Sun Valley City Council is close to finalizing e-bike law revisions in an effort to address e-bike proliferation and safety concerns.
Holding the first of three readings of proposed revisions to the city’s e-bike ordinance on Thursday, Feb. 5, the City Council requested that city staff members return with additional language defining “reckless operation” of an e-bike for the next reading, during which the council will consider attaching to more egregious offenses a misdemeanor penalty. Ketchum has already established a misdemeanor penalty for reckless use, and the Hailey City Council on Monday approved the second reading of new e-bike laws that would do the same.
At this time, the Sun Valley City Council has agreed on making four specific changes to city ordinance: explicitly defining the different types of e-bikes permitted on the city’s multi-use trail system, requiring riders of regular bicycles and e-bikes under the age of 18 to wear a helmet, maintaining the existing 20-mph speed limit on trails and adding penalties for violations in the form of a $100 infraction.
The council debated lowering the speed limit on the busiest section of trail, along Sun Valley Road, to 15 mph, but ultimately leaned toward keeping it at 20 mph and will make that decision before a final vote.
Sun Valley City Administrator Jim Keating noted that Ketchum and Blaine County Recreation District trails have a 15 mph speed limit.
The council agreed to define an e-bike as a bike “designed to be operated by human power with operable pedals with the assistance of an electric motor that has a power output of not more than seven hundred fifty watts (750 W) and disengages or ceases to function when the vehicle’s brakes are applied.”
The “operable pedals” portion was added to “help to eliminate some ‘e-motos’ or ‘Class 4’ electric bicycles,” according to a city staff report.
There was some disagreement about what type of e-bikes should be allowed on city trails, with Councilman Keith Saks adamantly calling for “Class 3” e-bikes to be prohibited.
“Class 3 electric-assisted bicycle,” as defined in the Idaho law, “means an electric-assisted bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases when the rider stops pedaling or when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour.”
Class 1 and 2 e-bikes have motors that do not provide assistance once the bike reaches 20 miles per hour.
“Boise banned Class 3 e-bikes,” Saks said. “That raises the question, what does Boise know that we don’t? I am firmly against Class 3 e-bikes being used on our trails.”
According to the city of Boise’s e-bike regulations, “E-bikes that can reach or exceed speeds of 28 miles per hour (Class 3) are not allowed on the Greenbelt, on sidewalks, in crosswalks or in bike lanes throughout the city.”
The rest of the council members expressed consensus on allowing Class 3 e-bikes. Councilman Dave Madaras advocated, at this time, to “keep it simple and make some forward progress.”
Ketchum, Hailey and the BCRD allow Class 3 e-bikes on trails.
The council has also discussed increasing public safety education efforts, enforcement of new regulations and collecting data on violations, accidents and other e-bike related statistics.
Keating said he participated in a valley-wide meeting earlier in the week on bike safety enforcement.
The next Sun Valley City Council meeting will be held on Thursday, March 5, at 4 p.m. in Sun Valley City Hall. 
