E-Bike Backlash

The rise of electric bicycles is sparking criticism of their potential danger to pedestrians and traditional cyclists.

- YVONNE LAU

STEVEN KUNG WAS cycling in Vancouver's scenic Stanley Park earlier this year when a rider on an electric bicycle-commonly known as an e-bike-flew past him, clipping him on the shoulder and nearly knocking him off balance. It was a terrifying moment; but for Kung, a medical device salesman, alarming close calls with e-bikes and the sight of their riders maneuvering dangerously have become routine.

He frequently sees young e-bikers whizzing in and out of car traffic, ignoring normal road rules.

"If cities don't fix this problem of how to best accommodate e-bikes," he says, "I think there's going to be many more accidents." The boom in e-bikes over the past few years has launched an intense debate over how riders use them and where. Critics want more restrictions owing to what they describe as the greater risks the bikes create for pedestrians and traditional cyclists.

No one tracks the number of e-bike accidents specifically. But in many communities, they are being linked to increased collisions. The bikes can hit top speeds of over 25 mph, much faster than street bikes. When careless riding and inattentive bystanders are mixed in, the outcome is often bloody for everyone involved.

For example, officials in Carlsbad, Calif., near San Diego, recently declared a "state of emergency" after accidents involving bikes of all kinds more than tripled since 2019. Residents blamed some of that rise on e-bikes.

In Boulder, a proposal by the city to allow e-bikes on open-space trails has created a huge backlash, with some residents saying they're worried about accidents and environmental damage.

Many e-bike supporters acknowledge the problems and propose fixes, including more bike lanes. But they also describe e-bikes as integral to reducing traffic and pollution while opening up cycling to far more people than pedal power alone allows.