Wyoming Valley Levee overseer Christopher Belleman decided a policy for electric bikes is needed when someone whizzed past him as he was working on the recreational path atop the levee last week.
“He was flying. It was like a small motorcycle up there,” said Belleman, executive director of Luzerne County’s Flood Protection Authority.
Belleman is requesting permission to draft a policy during Tuesday’s authority board meeting.
His guide will be a draft policy recently issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) for state parks and forested lands.
An “e-bike” is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that assists the rider when they are pedaling, the state said.
The state agency proposes allowing e-bikes on trails already open to traditional bicycles as long as the e-bikes weigh no more than 100 pounds, don’t exceed 20 miles-per-hour with the motor activated, have fully functional pedals and motors that do not exceed 750 watts.
These guidelines are consistent with the state Vehicle Code, it said.
E-bikes have become increasingly popular in recent years due to improved technology and price decreases, the state said.
“E-bikes may offer people opportunities to expand their outdoor recreational access and even replace mass transit or cars for those interested in a healthier, more environmentally-friendly mode of transportation,” the state said. “E-bikes also serve to expand mobility and opportunities for increased outdoor recreation for those who are aging and/or experience physical limitations.”
Belleman said rising gas prices also have contributed to the increase in e-bikes.
He stressed some e-bike users atop the levee are more considerate of others, noting one passed him Monday going slow.
Signs would have to be posted with new e-bike requirements, including speed limits, he said.
Enforcement may be an issue, he conceded.
“I’m trying to minimize the risk to the authority, because if we do nothing, we’re setting ourselves up for a lawsuit. We have to do something,” Belleman said.
The levee is a popular recreational asset for people of all ages, and their pets, and he does not want someone hurt.
He is not surprised e-bike riders are drawn to the levee because it is a safe area for traditional bicyclists who don’t want to worry about vehicular traffic and potholes, he said.
“I think we’re going to see more and more e-bikes up there. I knew it was a matter of time,” he said.
Tuesday’s meeting starts at 1 p.m. at the authority offices, 300 Laird St., Suite A-1, in Plains Township.