Perrysburg city council passed new e-bike regulations that require riders of Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes to register the bikes before riding them on multi-use paths within the city. The legislation, which takes effect Oct. 15, also restricts where older riders can take the bikes and stems from complaints about crashes and damaged parks.
Patrick Jones, the city’s Director of Public Safety, said the rules are meant to address safety concerns.
“This has to do a lot with safety. We have had kids on e-bikes who just fly through the intersections. They are not wearing helmets,” Jones said. “What that legislation does is it clarifies where e-bikes can be ridden, what types of e-bikes can be ridden where.”
Under the new rules, e-bikes are broken down into three classes. Restrictions on faster Class 3 bikes remain in place. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes will be allowed on city streets and sidewalks, but riders 15 and older will need to ride on the roadway or register the bike to use multi-use paths.
“Under current law, Class 3 e-bikes are not allowed to be ridden on multi-use paths,” Jones said. “That continues in this current legislation. Perrysburg is requiring anybody who is riding a Class 1 or Class 2 E-bike on a multi-use path within the city has to have it registered.”
The bikes will be marked with a colored sticker so officers can identify which ones are registered for the path.
“Class 1 and Class 2 bikes will be allowed. You can ride those on city streets, you’ll be able to ride those on multi-use paths as long as they’re registered and they can be ridden on sidewalks, but we want to make sure sidewalks are preserved for people that are walking,” Jones said. “If you are under the age of 15, you still will be able to ride a bike or e-bike on a sidewalk. If you are 15 or older, they have to be ridden on the roadway or registered for the multi-use path.”
Jones said the rules also respond to complaints about damaged parks, lawns and athletic fields.
“One of the recent complaints we got was people using the pitching mound on one of our baseball fields as a ramp for their e-bikes,” he said. “They are not meant to be a dirt track for e-bikes. We want to have a balance of, ‘Okay, let people be able to use these devices, but also use them responsibly.'”
Officials said the new permits could also help police track down riders who damage public property.
There is a 60-day grace period for people to register their e-bikes with the city before they could face penalties. Jones said the registration process is still being worked out, but a form will eventually be available online for print and can be dropped off to the police division.
