Ship Bottom to Consider Electric Bike Regulations

By Gina G. Scala | on August 30, 2023

As the summer season on Long Beach Island begins its annual winding down, there is mounting concern in Ship Bottom over bicycle and pedestrian safety, despite there being no serious accidents involving either group so far.

Councilman Tom Tallon brought his concerns about electric bicyclists on sidewalks, specifically in the south end of town near his home, to light at the borough council’s Aug. 22 caucus meeting, saying “there are people mowing people down, especially teenagers on electric bikes.”

Councilman Joe Valyo agreed, adding when he and his grandchildren were on their bicycles on the east side of 28th Street and the Boulevard, “it was unbelievably dangerous. It’s amazing that no one has been hit right there.”

The three-block area from 27th Street to 30th Street is one of the most congested in the borough, both on the sidewalk and on the Boulevard. All northbound and southbound motorist traffic is funneled through the area, which has two road travel lanes in each direction with a turn lane in the center.

“I ride a bike frequently and I’ve ridden that strip,” Councilman Robert Butkus said. “And they’re not going to stop (riding on the sidewalk). You’ve got garbage trucks. You’ve got food delivery trucks. You have the people who think 35 mph means 55 mph.”

Council President Ed English concurred, adding he sees “kids with no shoes on, no helmet” riding their bicycles across heavily trafficked areas, including Central Avenue, which runs parallel to the Boulevard in the area of concern.

“It’s stupid. No helmet, no shoes, no shirt, bathing suit on, speeding down and yes, you’re right, they are going 30 mph. You can’t stop that. It’s impossible,” he said. “And the reason they’re going on the sidewalk is because it’s a dangerous route. You slow down to 15 mph and go to make a right turn and there is a car parked there, and they don’t want to drive in traffic.”

He suggested establishing a no parking zone on the Boulevard between 28th and 30th streets, which would keep bicyclists off the sidewalks and on the roadways where, by state statute, they are supposed to ride. The recommendation poses two problems, though: One, there isn’t enough parking anywhere on the Island in the summer, and two, that would add more traffic to an overcrowded area where safety is already a concern.

While Tallon acknowledged bicycles are not permitted on sidewalks, he said it’s allowed, in most instances, because no one wants to ride on the Boulevard – for several reasons.

“There are tons of Lance Armstrong wannabes that take a lane out,” he said of bicyclists who commandeer the right traffic lane in the area of 28th Street, and sometimes the turn lane. “It’s just like crosswalks. You’re saying Jersey people are never going to stop for someone in a crosswalk. You’re saying Jersey people are not going to stop for bikes on the road.”

While the safety concerns are for all bicyclists and pedestrians, Tallon, a longtime electric bicycle owner and rider, said regular road bikes don’t “endanger someone else”; e-bikes do.

There are three classes of e-bikes in New Jersey. A Class 1 low-speed electric bicycle is equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and stops providing assistance when the bicycle reaches 20 mph. A Class 2 low-speed electric bicycle is equipped with a motor that does not require the rider to pedal to propel the bicycle and stops providing power when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 mph.

If an e-bike can do more than 20 mph when assisted by the motor, it is considered a Class 3, or a motorized bicycle (moped), and requires a license, registration and insurance. Under state law, an individual operating a Class 3 e-bike, which is defined as a motorized bicycle, must be at least 15 years of age.

State law also allows a local governing body to restrict where Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed to ride, but they are prohibited on sidewalks intended for pedestrian use, unless expressly permitted. Municipal Clerk Kristy DeBoer said Beach Haven does not allow e-bikes on sidewalks.

Ship Bottom officials aren’t alone in their worries. Earlier this summer, Long Beach Township police said they had “concerns with the speed of the bikes. By law, an e-bike cannot exceed 20 mph. Even at that speed, when a crash occurs, the injuries can be severe,” adding, “Even though your e-bike can do 20 mph it may not be safe to do so.”

Mayor William Huelsenbeck charged Tallon with coming back to the council with a recommendation to address e-bicycles, pointing out the councilman chairs the town’s public safety committee.

— Gina G. Scala

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