Proposals to allow children as young as 12 to ride e-bikes and add safety regulations have received strong support from some lawmakers, but key provisions have sparked concerns from others.
E-bikes have skyrocketed in popularity nationwide in recent years, and Oregon has been no exception. As of early 2024, they accounted for nearly one-fifth of all bicycles in Portland, according to the city’s transportation department. Advocates say the vehicles are a climate-friendly and cheaper alternative to cars that benefit riders’ physical health and help reduce congestion.
As e-bikes — and similar devices like electric unicycles and low-speed motorized bikes — continue to grow in popularity, some lawmakers believe it’s time for the state to both expand access to the devices and establish clearer safety regulations.
Expanding the use of e-bikes in Oregon is “really one of those win-win-win kinds of solutions,” said Rep. Mark Gamba, a Democrat from Milwaukie and e-bike user. “It gives people a dependable, relatively fast form of transportation that isn’t polluting and doesn’t cost a lot of money to maintain.”
To boost e-bike use, Gamba has proposed House Bill 2963, which would establish a voucher program to help low-income Oregonians afford the devices. Electric-powered bikes are typically more expensive than regular bikes and can cost thousands of dollars.
The bill would seed the voucher program with $6 million. Residents could apply for vouchers up to $1,200 to cover the cost of purchasing e-bikes. Only Oregonians on the Oregon Health Plan or recent users of it would qualify, which Gamba said would streamline the application process.
“For somebody who’s poor and can barely keep a car running or can’t afford a car at all, it’s a game changer,” he said.
In a similar effort to expand access, House Bill 3626 proposes lowering the minimum age to ride most e-bikes from 16 to 12. It would also set clear standards for other electric-powered devices that currently operate in a regulatory gray area and would require the Oregon Department of Transportation to develop education materials regarding safety measures for e-bikes and other low-speed motorized devices.
The lower age requirement would apply to Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, which only provide motor assistance up to 20 miles per hour. The bill would not change the 16-year age minimum for faster classifications of e-bikes.
A number of city officials, transportation and environmental advocates have expressed support for the lower age threshold, saying that allowing more children to ride e-bikes will increase their independence while alleviating car dependency for families.
“I’m here because I want my child to grow up with the freedom to transport herself around town on safe e-bikes and all these other lovely e-mobility things here in Bend,” Hal DeShow, a Bend resident, told the Joint Committee on Transportation Monday. “I want to see our air quality improve. I want to see our traffic congestion ease as parents stop driving their teenagers everywhere. I want to see kids on bikes.”
The bill was introduced by Democratic Reps. Emerson Levy of Bend and Daniel Nguyen of Dunthorpe, who say the proposed changes are long overdue and will help cities set and enforce their own laws.
Their bill would set statewide standards for “powered micromobility devices,” which include motorized devices such as electric skateboards and motorized bikes that do not exceed 30 miles per hour. It also would expand helmet requirements for children under 16 from bicycles to include e-bikes and other motorized devices.
But some of these proposals have raised concerns among lawmakers.
For one, DMV Administrator Amy Joyce told lawmakers Monday that overseeing such complicated regulations and educating the public about them would be burdensome. And some lawmakers are hesitant to give more responsibilities or funding to the Oregon Department of Transportation, which has been under heavy scrutiny this year as lawmakers scramble to help the agency address a massive funding gap.
“I’m very sensitive to anything that’s going to cost ODOT money,” said Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, a Republican from Albany.
Also, at least one lawmaker on the transportation committee, Republican Sen. Bruce Starr of Dundee, indicated that he wants to hear from local law enforcement officials about their thoughts on the bills before voting on them.
But perhaps the biggest hurdle for lawmakers in passing these proposals will be finding consensus on how much cyclists in Oregon should pay for their share of the state’s road and bike infrastructure.
Oregon currently has a $15 tax on bicycle purchases, which goes to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. But some lawmakers say that e-cyclists and other users of low-speed motorized devices should pay to help maintain the state’s roads and traffic infrastructure.
“If we transfer all the vehicles from being on the roads and we have a lot of these micro mobility devices, there has to be a shared cost and contribution to the system,” Sen. Mark Meek, a Democrat from Gladstone, said Monday. “There’s just no way that we can be inclusive without including a share into the system.”
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