Juneau draft ordinance would restrict e-bikes on parks and recreation trails

A draft ordinance would bar Class 2 and Class 3 electric bicycles from City and Borough of Juneau parks and recreation areas closed to motorized vehicles, unless otherwise posted, with a limited exception for Class 1 e-bikes on trails already open to bicycle use.

The draft limits that exception to Class 1 models, defined as bicycles whose motor assists only while the rider pedals and stops at 20 mph. Throttle-assist bikes and models capable of 28 mph would be prohibited. The draft code language covers electric or motorized bicycles generally, not only e-bikes, and violations would be infractions subject to a civil fine of $25, listed in the city's civil fine table as a traffic violation. Class 1 e-bikes would remain permitted only on trails already open to bicycle use, not across all parks and recreation areas.

Park Director Marc Wheeler said the push to regulate came from a clear trend on local trails. "These bicycles have gotten much faster in recent years and have the potential to create damage to trails and parks and can create significant public safety hazards," Wheeler said. He added that the draft "follows the typical approach by states and municipalities around the country" and aligns with Alaska State Parks regulations.

Owners of Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes, including commuters and older riders who rely on throttle-assist models for mobility, would lose access to CBJ parks and trails closed to motorized vehicles, unless an area is otherwise posted.

Reid Harris of the Juneau Mountain Bike Alliance is also scheduled to present at the July 7 meeting on e-moto bike issues on CBJ parks and trails.

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee is scheduled to take up the draft July 7 at 5:30 p.m. in Assembly Chambers. The meeting will also be available by Zoom webinar and phone. The motion before the committee is to recommend that the draft language be incorporated into an ordinance and forwarded to the CBJ Assembly, which would have final authority to adopt or reject the measure. The committee is not being asked to adopt a ban at this meeting, only to decide whether to send the draft language forward.