For information about City of Eugene E-bike rules, go here.
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Michael Dunne: I'm Michael Dunne. For decades, there's been a kind of low-level tension between walkers and joggers versus bikers on sidewalks, paths and trails. Those traveling on their own two feet feel like e-bikers speed along and create dangerous situations, while e-bikers, in turn, feel like walkers and runners hog the lane, creating logjams. A few years ago, a new entry into this conflict emerged: e-bikes and electronic motorbikes that can reach nearly car-level speeds have injected a whole new level of tension. Today on the show, we talk with a reporter at Lookout Eugene-Springfield who wrote an article about this issue, and then we'll talk with two experts at the city of Eugene who are trying to engineer and communicate a peaceful coexistence for all. Lillian Schrock-Clevenger, the Springfield correspondent for Lookout Eugene-Springfield, thank you for coming in and talking with us.
Lillian Schrock-Clevenger: Thanks for having me.
Dunne: You did a story at the end of last year about e-bikes in our community. I wanted to ask you to talk about that article. What were some of the things you found out about e-bikes in our community?
Schrock-Clevenger: I was interested in delving in a bit more around the laws and rules around e-bikes, just to understand them better, as we're seeing their usage more and more in town, on bike paths as well as in bike lanes. I wasn't even sure: do people need to be permitted to ride them? Were there age requirements? I was really curious to learn more.
Dunne: In your article, you talk about some of those basic laws. Talk a little bit about that, for people listening who may have no real idea of what an e-bike is. What are some of the laws governing them?
Schrock-Clevenger: E-bikes, or electric assist bicycles, are bicycles. They have pedals and are operated by pedaling, but the rider gets a boost from an electric motor. Some e-bikes have a throttle, which allows the rider to use the motor to move the e-bike without pedaling, but not all e-bikes have that throttle. An Oregon law passed a couple of years ago created three classifications of e-bikes: Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3. Class 1 provides assistance when the rider is pedaling up to 20 mph. It does not have a throttle. Class 2 does have a throttle and also provides assistance up to 20 mph. Class 3 does not have a throttle, and it will shut off the motor when the e-bike reaches 28 mph. Anything that doesn't fit into one of those classes is not, legally, what Oregon considers an e-bike.
Dunne: As I understand it, there are also electronic motorcycles. Those are kind of a horse of a different color, aren't they?
Schrock-Clevenger: Yes. In talking with the experts, I learned that those are sometimes things that get wrapped up with e-bikes but are not actually allowed on multi-use paths and in bike lanes. They'd be considered more like a moped or a motorcycle. E-bikes, by contrast, are legally considered bicycles under Oregon law. The only caveat is they cannot be ridden on sidewalks. E-bike operators also have to be 16 or older, although a recent bill passed in the short session this year lowered the age limit for Class 1 to 14.
Dunne: As you were doing your research for this story and talking to folks, what were some of the concerns you heard from pedestrians?
Schrock-Clevenger: I talked to Sen. Prozanski, and he talked about riding on the e-bike path. He called himself an avid cyclist and said he's worried about the potential for collisions between people walking on the e-bike paths and e-bikes that are not following the posted speed limits. The city of Eugene has posted signs with those speed limits, which I believe is 12 mph when other people are around, with a maximum of 20 mph.
Dunne: Are Eugene, Springfield and other cities looking to educate the traveling public about the best etiquette for being on a trail or a path, whether you're a walker, a jogger, a biker or an e-biker?
Schrock-Clevenger: That was definitely the sense I got from the person I spoke with at the city of Eugene: that people on e-bikes need to make sure that whatever they're using, whether walking, running or riding, they need to stay to the right, announce when they're passing and do it respectfully. The city of Springfield also launched an education campaign last year with a video that talked about the rules and recommendations for electric mobility devices, which includes e-bikes as well as e-scooters.
Dunne: I imagine there are people with strong opinions on both sides of this issue. Lillian Schrock-Clevenger covers Springfield for Lookout Eugene-Springfield. Thank you for coming in and talking with us.
Schrock-Clevenger: Thanks again.
Dunne: Now let's get some information and possible solutions from the city of Eugene. Shane Rhodes is the transportation options program manager with the Public Works Department for the city of Eugene, and Kelly Shadwick is the community engagement manager for the parks and open space department. Welcome to you both.
Shane Rhodes and Kelly Shadwick: Thanks for having us.
Dunne: I'm going to start with you, Shane. As far as you can explain to the audience, are there any rules governing the use and riding of e-bikes that differ from standard bikes?
Rhodes: E-bikes in Oregon fall under a three-class system, but one of the main things to recognize is that e-bikes are legally considered bikes. They have to follow the same rules and regulations that a bike does. People who are riding bikes are drivers of vehicles, and so when you ride a bike, you have to follow the rules of the road. That applies to e-bikes as well. That said, there are specific Oregon Revised Statutes that apply specifically to bikes that differ slightly from standard vehicle laws. Some folks might know the stop-as-yield law: a bicyclist can roll up to a stop sign, yield, and if it's clear, keep rolling through. That's a different law from a motor vehicle. In general, people riding e-bikes have to follow the same rules as people driving. The three-class system makes e-bikes distinct, and the other difference is that e-bikes may not be ridden on sidewalks. In Eugene, bikes can ride on sidewalks legally, except in certain areas: downtown, some areas near campus and on campus itself. Our bike map shows those limited areas where you can't ride a bike on a sidewalk. E-bikes, however, cannot be ridden on any sidewalk.
Dunne: Kelly, are there areas in open space, parks, trails, paved or not, where e-bikes are not allowed within the city of Eugene?
Kelly Shadwick: We don't allow any biking, e-bikes or regular bikes, on our bark trails. There are also some areas out in the Willamette Natural Area where we don't allow it, or on grass or directly on playgrounds and places like that.
Dunne: Have you noticed conflicts between e-bikers and walkers and joggers on our paved paths? I realize those conflicts could range from complaints about speed to actual incidents that resulted in injuries. Whoever wants to start is welcome to do so.
Shadwick: We have our shared-use path system in parks that's paved, and we do see and hear about conflicts between joggers, pedestrians and people on bikes in general, as well as e-bikes. A lot of the issues are around going too fast, especially near other people. We're also seeing these e-motos, which are actually more like a small motorcycle and aren't allowed. We do hear complaints from the public about it, and our staff even carry a handout to provide folks so they know where to report those issues and what the rules are.
Dunne: And Shane, what about from your group?
Rhodes: We definitely hear some things. I think Kelly touched on the key ones. One thing she mentioned that stands out is the distinction between e-bikes and e-motos. A lot of the concerns we've been hearing involve really fast vehicles that people didn't hear approaching, or that passed too close or too fast. There are definitely issues with all road users making sure everyone follows proper path etiquette. We have a path etiquette campaign that we started a few years ago that covers how to pass with care, giving notice before you pass, staying on your side of the path and other things all users need to be aware of. But there are some outliers, and e-motos are one of those. These are vehicles that can travel faster than 20 mph with a throttle, and if a vehicle goes more than 20 mph with the throttle, it is not an e-bike. Anything where you give it a throttle and it goes more than 20 mph is automatically an unclassified vehicle, or an e-moto. Different rules apply to those, and generally they can't be ridden on our path or park system or on public roads. They're really designed and regulated to be ridden on private property. We're seeing more and more of those vehicles, and they're the ones causing a lot of the major concerns. E-bikes and regular bikes do create some issues and require some education, but the real outlier causing a lot of the problems is the e-moto.
Dunne: That's interesting, because I'm an avid runner, and I may not have even known the difference between an e-bike and an e-moto. This is good information, because I've certainly seen, especially at Alton Baker Park, what I thought was an e-bike going well over 20 mph. It sounds like I probably saw an e-moto.
Rhodes: Exactly. That's what we hear: people complaining about e-bikes, when most likely it wasn't an e-bike at all. E-bikes and regular bikes are often traveling too fast as well. You can get an e-bike going faster than 20 mph if you pedal it harder. There are Class 3 e-bikes that can reach 28 mph, but the throttle has to cut off at 20, so you have to be pedaling pretty hard to get there. The motor provides assist up to 28. And regular bikes? Road riders can get their bikes going pretty fast. Thirty mph on flat ground is doable on a road bike. In the end, those speeds are too fast for our paths. We have park rules that limit speeds on our path network to 20 mph. We have signs that say that. But we also note that even that is too fast when passing pedestrians, so the guidance is: when you're passing someone, slow to 12 mph.
Dunne: Kelly, pick up on that. I think it would be helpful for people to know the rules of the road, so to speak, but also the ways in which the city and your group, as well as others, try to educate the public. Many people may get out of their cars and get on a bike, electric or otherwise, and not even realize there are speed limits on pathways. Talk about that.
Shadwick: As Shane mentioned, you are not allowed to exceed 20 mph on a path through the park system. We do see all kinds of bikes going at much faster speeds. It really is something that everybody has to take responsibility for. It's an honor system. You need to travel at the right speed throughout the park system so that everybody can be safe, and you need to look out for each other. We have some signs throughout the park system, and there's probably more we can do to be more specific about that 20 mph limit and help people understand when they're going too fast.
Dunne: Are there ways to cost-effectively separate walkers, joggers and bikers on trails and pathways to make them safer? Is that something the city is looking at?
Rhodes: I'm glad you asked, because we do actually have a project coming up: a striping and signage plan to implement more wayfinding signs and more path etiquette signs along our path network. The striping will clearly designate the center line of a path, with a solid line where it's recommended you don't pass or pass with care, and a dashed line where it's a bit more open. We'll also use what we call shark's teeth, or yield triangles, at paths that intersect the main path, so it's clear who has a responsibility to yield and what your side of the path is. In our path etiquette work over the past few years, we talk a lot about staying to the right and passing on the left. Whether you're walking or biking, it's much clearer when everyone stays to the right. When we can, we're also looking at places where we can actually separate e-bikes and wheeled users from pedestrians. We did that for the first time at the new Riverfront Park, the former EWEB site, where we have a city of Eugene park with lands being developed. We built a new shared-use path network there. If you remember the old one along a chain-link fence, very narrow, the new one is much more beautiful and open. It has two different sides, plus a third, more meandering pedestrian path where you can enjoy the views of the river.
Dunne: Kelly, I'll give the last word to you. I don't want this to be just about blaming people on e-bikes and e-motos. What should pedestrians keep in mind when they're navigating our many wonderful paths and trails, given that they are sharing a space?
Shadwick: I think it's really important, in general, to be aware of your surroundings. We're really excited about this new striping on the path. We think it will be a helpful visual reminder to stay right and pass on the left. Keeping your dog on a leash and close to you, not stretched across the path, is also a real safety issue. And for me, when I had little kids, it was much easier to tell them to stay to the right of a line. Making sure you and your family are staying to the right will really help. Pay attention to the signs about what is and isn't allowed, and just realize we're in a shared space. Everybody is trying to do a different thing there, and we all need to be aware of each other, be respectful and look out for one another.
Dunne: Shane, with regard to e-motos, can you talk a little bit about what the city might be doing to reduce the potential for dangerous conflicts?
Rhodes: We're looking at doing a little more enforcement activity this summer. We're hoping for some good support and plan to actually go out there and tell people that the vehicle they're riding isn't actually allowed on our path network. We think that's something the community has really been wanting. A lot of people simply don't know these vehicles aren't allowed. So rather than just a table or an informational booth, we're looking at an actual checkpoint where we have people come by and we look at their e-vehicle to see if it's allowed on the path. If it is, we can give them a small thank-you incentive for riding a legal vehicle. If it's not, we can let them know that next time we may take stronger action, but that the vehicle they're on is not allowed on our path network.
Dunne: Shane Rhodes is the transportation options program manager, and Kelly Shadwick is the community engagement manager. They're both with the city of Eugene. We really appreciate both of you coming on and sharing your knowledge.
Rhodes and Shadwick: Thank you so much for having us.
Dunne: That's the show for today. All episodes of Oregon on the Record are available as a podcast at KLCC.org. Tomorrow on the show, it's been quite a couple of years for the Eugene Weekly, and we'll talk with the editor about what a strange journey it's been. I'm Michael Dunne, host of Oregon on the Record. Thanks for listening.
