The Joint Committee on Transportation – including State Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Third Essex) and State Rep. Jennifer Armini (D-Essex) – met on Thursday to discuss “micromobility,” or transportation like e-bikes and e-scooters.
The committee reviewed five bills, including the governor’s micromobility proposal, which was crafted using recommendations from last year’s Commission on Micromobility, according to State Rep. James Arciero. The Ride Safe Act was filed at the beginning of May to strengthen public safety and regulate e-bikes, mopeds and scooters.
“They’re not always used as safely as we’d like them,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “We want to keep everyone safe, support innovation and affordability and protect riders who often simply are trying to earn a living and support their families.”
The bill aims to create consistent standards for communities and police departments across the Commonwealth. Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Phil Eng said this will facilitate consistency, easing confusion over guidelines from one community to another.
“Without a doubt, it is a transportation mode that’s here to stay,” said Eng. “It’s about how we can make it safely done.”
Officials said a current “mismatch” in terminology and classifications limits both data collection and safety regulation.
“The law is very convoluted when it comes to e-bikes,” Swampscott Sgt. Brendan Reen told the Swampscott Tides. “These motorized bikes are constantly changing. They’re getting faster, and they’re more sleek.”
To amend this, the Ride Safe Act is proposing a speed tier to help distinguish micromobilities and regulate them. The tiers are proposed as:
- Zero: speeds 0 to 20 mph
- One: speeds 21 to 30 mph
- Two: speeds 31 to 40 mph
- Three: 41 mph and above
The bill also has details on registration and licensure as well as fines.
“It would help prevent injuries and crashes,” Reen said. “It will be much more easily to enforce and easier to understand.”
Reen also added that it is “very difficult for a 14 or 15 year old” to operate a bike capable of speeds over 20 mph.
State Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Second Essex) shared that about 260,000 e-bikes are purchased annually across the country, yet “young riders really lack the knowledge and experience of how to handle these machines.” In North Andover, part of Finegold’s district, officers have reported receiving two to three complaints per day about “unsafe e-bike driving and kids failing to follow road rules.”
“The summer months are coming, and we’re concerned,” Finegold said. “Our communities really need to address this problem and provide clear safety standards and restrictions.”
In Swampscott, there have been 26 calls for service since February that involved e-bikes, scooters or mopeds, according to Reen. The incidents ranged from “juvenile problem,” “disturbance,” “motor vehicle accident,” “motor vehicle accident with personal injury,” and “erratic operator.”
Reen added that oftentimes micromobility riders cluster in groups and don’t wear helmets. However, Reen said police chiefs were previously advised that the best practice was to monitor large rider groups rather than actively intervene unless safety became an immediate concern.
“E-bikes are great. They’re everywhere. Responsible people use them to get to work, to get to school, to get to the train station,” Reen told the Swampscott Tides. “However, the rules of the road must be followed. We have to adhere to motor vehicle law, and I think with this Ride Safe Act one thing it will do is give towns and cities a clear understanding of where and how to enforce this law and how to best educate the riders in our communities so that everybody is safer.”
Read the Swampscott Tide story here.