With snow melting and roads widening, not to mention the suddenly soaring cost of gasoline, townspeople might well take to their two-wheeled transport option: the bicycle — or, perhaps more likely, the electric bike.
In the last few years, e-bikes have exploded in popularity, and the surge has caused some safety issues. Many municipalities, East Hampton Town among them, intend to implement new laws to keep up: Both the town board and the Police Department have indicated that they hope to strengthen the e-bike code before the summer season begins.
Suffolk County updated its own e-bike laws over the winter. The new county law requires riders to be at least 16, prohibits e-bikes on sidewalks and any road with a speed limit over 30 miles per hour, and requires all users, not just those under age 18, to wear a helmet.
Also, riders must now follow traffic laws, operate on the right side of the road, and “flow with traffic.” If an e-bike user is found violating any of the rules, their bike or scooter can be impounded, and they can be ticketed or even arrested.
Stores and shopkeepers, too, are now responsible to inform their customers of the law. The new county code specifically directs that key provisions be posted “in letters at least two inches high with a contrasting background,” on top of which, customers must be given a printed handout. A fine of $1,000 can be imposed for noncompliance.
Khanh Ngo, who owns Khanh Sports, a bike and surf shop on Pantigo Road in East Hampton, said he’s been doing that for years, and that the police have already come in to inform him of the new laws. He supports the stricter measures, he said, having concluded that e-bikes are now being bought for transportation, not recreation.
“Legislation can make it harder to sell bikes, but I’m okay with it. People should not be riding on the sidewalks and acting like they own the road,” he texted.
East Hampton Town Councilman David Lys cited the new county law at a recent town board work session, saying that local retailers are very good at informing their customers about it, but noting that many e-bikes aren’t bought locally. “That’s why getting this information to the school districts is important,” he said.
County law automatically applies to the towns within its borders. While towns cannot make their own laws more lax than the county code, they can make it stronger.
For example, the town could prohibit e-bikes on roads with speed limits over 25 miles per hour, which would take them off many village roads.
In a recent phone call, this district’s county legislator, Ann Welker, said that “For me, the wearing of the helmets and the importance of parents being aware of the law are the most important elements of this law. . . . These are vehicles, basically. Some can go up to 30 miles per hour. Having that awareness and caution around purchasing these bikes for kids is important.”
“What’s happening, many of the e-bike’s settings are being manipulated post-factory for higher speeds,” Mr. Lys said this week. “That’s where the conflict is.” He noted that e-bikes and other electrical-assist modes of transportation already cannot be used in downtown business districts.
Capt. Gregory Martin of the town police suggested in an email that the county’s biggest change is the helmet requirement. Further, its law makes clear that e-bikes are prohibited in nature preserves and on hiking trails (East Hampton already prohibits them in town-owned nature preserves.)
“Discussions are currently ongoing regarding these county code provisions and whether there may be benefits in adopting similar amendments to the local Town Code,” Captain Martin added.
The police department recently updated its e-bike flier to reflect the changes to the county law, and Councilman Lys said new signs and enforcement, specifically in Montauk and early in the season, are coming.
“To me, it’s purely a safety issue,” he said. “I hope everyone understands there needs to be a balance between modes of modality and safety on the roads. E-bikes need to share the roads with pedestrians, regular bicycles, and cars.”
Could officials do more to encourage good use and add bike-friendly infrastructure?
“Bike lanes have always been a discussion,” said Ms. Welker. “The problem with county roads and bike lanes is that if you put in bike lanes it can restrict parking. This has to be considered. There’s a fair amount of grant money allocated to the Long Island Greenway [a long-proposed 200-mile greenway connecting Manhattan to Montauk that could use rights of way to get bikers off roads], and it already has approval in western Suffolk for a stretch.”
The South Fork portion of the greenway has a “fully executed contract between the consultant and county for design and planning,” she said, and community outreach could be coming soon.
“I’m hoping it will come as quickly as possible toward the East End, even if it’s small segments where [e-bikers and cyclists] could jump off Montauk Highway.”
