e-Bike Safety Advocates

~~ e-Bike Safety Awareness Initiatives for Colorado

Colorado e-Bike Safety Awareness Initiatives

Colorado e-Bike Safety Awareness Initiatives are programs designed to improve safety, accountability, and awareness for all users of multi-use paths and bike lanes. The comprehensive programs are designed to enhance safety for pedestrians, cyclists, e-Bikers and e-moto users on bike paths and bike lanes, with a special focus on underage riders (<16). This includes an in-person registration system with theft recovery features plus an online safety certification covering safety practices, etiquette, and regulations. This will help ensure that legal e-bikes are used on multi-use paths and reduce the number of “near miss crashes” that are bound to happen.

Why It Matters:

Multi‑use paths are mostly 8 foot wide and were never designed for high-speed, motor-assisted vehicles.
A uniform education/registration approach mirrors the success of Colorado’s driver accreditation system
by establishing accountability and shared understanding among riders/pedestrians.
Building safety culture now reduces future conflicts as e‑mobility expands statewide.

e-Motos are electric mopeds, electric motorcycles, electric dirt bikes, motorized skateboards and electric Unicycles (powered single wheels) that travel much faster than any electric bicycle. E-motos may have motors with thousands of watts of power that far exceed the 750 watts allowed for a legal electric bicycle. *

The Core Initiatives include:

e-Bike/User Registration:
- Confirms that their e-Bike is legal to use; collects their photo with the e-Bike, contact info, and parents’ info.
- Registrants will also receive a local Police-issued ID sticker for theft recovery (linking serial number and owner data).
- In 2024, 745 bikes were reported stolen in Boulder (100 more than in 2023). 2024 also saw a rise in the number of e-bikes stolen, and an increasing number of high security chains and U-locks were defeated). **
Safety Awareness Certification:
- Establishes a baseline safety knowledge for all underage riders.
- Helps to better understand the need for safety etiquette and rules associated with sharing a multi-use path with multitudes of people while riding 15 – 20+ MPH.
- e-Bike Safety Awareness Certificate – upon completion of a 12-question online test to ensure that we all have the same basic understanding of safety; digital and printable certificate, shareable with parents and peers.
Uniform On-Path Signage System:
Consistent signage improves communications as well as safety awareness and education.
Helps lay the foundation for the projected explosive growth in domestic e-bike sales/usage.
Each sign can be QR code enabled to provide instant access to up-to-date bike maps, gravel trails and trails closed to e-Bikes;
“Report an Incident” allows users to report rude and dangerous situations and where they are occurring.

By 2030, e-Bike sales in the US may nearly quadruple, meaning lots of new riders are coming to Colorado in the coming years (from $1.7M in 2024 to $6.5M in 2030 ***). The primary reason why our road and driving systems are relatively organized is because all drivers are required to pass the same driver’s exam and road test to be gifted permission to use our roads/highways. It’s time to create a similar standard for underage riders to ensure safety for all.

* The E-Bike Problem is an E-Moto Problem | PeopleForBikes

** Bike Bolder

*** eCycle Electric

Image credit to www.sitelinesb.com

e-Bike Registration/Safety Awareness Certification

This program is a voluntary registration for riders aged 15 and younger that do not a driver’s license. All kids seek out boundaries and will push things are far as they are allowed. Riding a motorized “e-bike” 20+ MPH (with a friend on the seat) without a helmet, riding recklessly like they are at a vacation resort without rules needs to stop. Communities should consider setting boundaries for the younger generation e-Bike riders to ensure that crashes and TBIs do not happen to them and/or others they may hit. This will help kids understand the difference between privileges (like riding a bike path) and their own individual rights. We all need to follow safety practices and rules of the road that apply to all multi-use path users.

The Registration and Safety Awareness Certification process includes:

Confirmation of which Class of e-Bikes they own and which e-Bikes are allowed and not allowed public multi-use paths.
In-person registration of the e-bike, rider, and parent/guardian contact information.
A photo of young riders with their e-bike.
Police-issued ID sticker for theft recovery (linking serial number and owner data).
Installation of a bell on the e-bike (optional).
Confirmation of which paths/trails are closed to any e-Bike or e-moto traffic
Completion of a 12-question online test to ensure understanding of safety rules and etiquette and local regulations.
Receipt of an e-bike Safety Awareness Certificate (digital and printable), shareable with parents and peers.

The goal is to ensure all stakeholders using motorized devices operate with accurate safety information and boundaries for acceptable behavior, enhancing security on bike paths for everyone. This program can help Coloradoans feel more secure on bike paths, especially our seniors.

e-Bike Safety Awareness Signage (on-path)

Implementing a uniform, graffiti-proof signage system throughout metro and high-traffic areas in the Front Range is crucial to ensuring coordinated usage of multi-use paths and preparing for the increasing number of participants that are coming. Envision communities of connected multi-use paths using a similar map structure and sign design for consistency for users; a bikeway version of our existing speed limit signs if you will.

Key aspects of the interactive signage include:

Location: Placed in high-traffic areas, especially where paths are typically 8 ft. wide and were not designed for high-speed motorized traffic.
Clarity: Clear, concise signage with international symbols and specified speed limits for all users (e.g., 15 MPH).
Standardization: Use of a standard 12” x 18” sign template that can be shared and updated by each community.
Safety Message: A succinct safety message; for example
– A.S.K.:
- Announce when approaching from behind.
- Signal upcoming turns.
- Kindness Matters – Speed limit 15 MPH.
QR Codes: Signs equipped with QR codes linked to a dedicated landing page that features:
- Up-to-date, color-coded bike path maps (showing paved, gravel, street crossings, and areas where e-bikes are prohibited).
- A “Report-an-Incident” form to collect real-time user feedback on incident locations, what happened and contact information (optional).