By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — Two residents recently expressed concerns about people riding electric bikes and scooters on sidewalks during a recent Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) meeting.
A transportation bond bill signed into law three years ago updated the language for Class 1 and Class 2 definitions for e-bikes. The law defines a Class 1 e-bike as a “bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and that ceases to provide assistance when the e-bike reaches 20 mph, with an electric motor of 750 watts or less.”
The law classifies Class 2 e-bikes as a “bicycle equipped with a throttle-actuated motor that ceases to provide assistance when the e-bike reaches 20 mph, with an electric motor of 750 watts or less.”
Walnut Street resident Shelley Lynch said she frequently sees children riding e-bikes and electric scooters on sidewalks while she is walking around town.
“I walk every day in the Pillings Pond area all the way down to Lynnfield Center on Summer Street,” said Lynch. “More so during the school year but also in the summer, I see a good amount of kids who are probably middle school-age or maybe high school on the e-bikes and scooters. I am really careful and cautious. I quickly try to move out of their way because sometimes they go very, very quickly. The concern that I have is sometimes I can’t hear them and they quickly zoom by.”
In addition to being concerned about “someday colliding with a kid,” Lynch said she is equally concerned about children’s safety.
“I worry about the kids too because I see kids on these bikes who are young and some of them are not wearing protective gear on their heads,” said Lynch. “I do see some of the kids on their cellphones while they are on scooters and e-bikes.”
Lynch said she reached out to Town Hall to see if there was any “local bylaw or ordinance” about e-bikes, but she said, “They did not cite anything.” She encouraged the TSAC and the town to “educate the parents and the kids about what they need to be doing to keep themselves safe and keep people walking safe as well.”
“It is something I wanted to bring to your attention as a board to see what might be done,” said Lynch.
Town Administrator Rob Dolan suggested that the town post more information about the state’s e-bike law on the town website.
Lynch also proposed that the town publish “some suggestions for the kids.”
“They do enjoy being able to get from Point A to Point B very quickly,” said Lynch. “For young kids who want to enjoy this recreation, I would imagine parents are telling their kids to stay on the sidewalks. I walk on Summer Street for a few miles every day, and it is very, very busy.”
TSAC Chair Anthony Guerriero thanked Lynch for raising her concerns about e-bikes.
“E-bikes are a challenge everywhere,” said Guerriero. “This is not just a Lynnfield issue. It is a major issue in the city of Boston in the parks and on the sidewalks.”
Main Street Bob Gillon said Lynch reached out to him about her concerns about people riding e-bikes on sidewalks, which prompted him to contact Guerriero. He said he has experienced similar situations as Lynch with e-bikes.
“I was walking on Main Street when two e-bikes just flew by me going 25- or 30-mph,” said Gillon. “It’s frightening. They come up behind you, you don’t know they are coming and they are coming within inches of us.”
While Gillon said children and adults love riding bikes, he said the town should do more to educate people about the state’s law governing e-bikes because they are “new technology.”
“The one thing I am concerned about is within the Mass. law, there are two categories for e-bikes: Class 1 and Class 2,” said Gillon. “Both Class 1 and Class 2 are not allowed on sidewalks per the law. Granted, I wouldn’t want my child riding an e-bike on the street. The safest spot is the sidewalk. They have to use caution, and that is part of the education that the users have to know about. They just can’t come up on people from behind. When they went by me, it was one or two seconds of each other. I did yell to them to come back, but they were not going to listen because they were on their way down the street. It’s not just the education. It’s respect. They just can’t think the sidewalk belongs to them. There are other people using the sidewalk.”
Guerriero thanked Gillon for raising his concerns.
Before Lynch and Gillon raised their concerns, Police Chief/TSAC member Nick Secatore said the Police Department follows the state’s rules and regulations pertaining to e-bikes.
“Some of these bikes fall under the General Laws depending on what class they are classified in where they can ride and cannot ride,” said Secatore. “Some of the bikes in an approved class are just bicycles. They have to be treated as just bicycles even though they are e-bikes. The higher class ones can be restricted. There can be local regulations that can be enacted, but at this time, I think the state law that is in place is adequate.”