Strict e-bike laws will soon be enforced. Are you ready for the changes?
“I worry people are too young to understand the speed and if you hit somebody, it’s going to be very bad,” said Ellen Walsh, of Medford.
In just three months, New Jersey will begin requiring all e-bike riders to carry insurance and registration.
As the July deadline approaches, some towns are still writing their own ordinances, restricting e-bike usage - including the Lavallette boardwalk, which is the latest to ban on e-bikes at the Jersey Shore.
“The children go too fast. And there’s no control,” said Bill McDonough, of Chadwick Beach.
“I worry people are too young to understand the speed and if you hit somebody, it’s going to be very bad,” said Ellen Walsh, of Medford.
There are just three months left before local police departments begin enforcing the new e-bike laws, which now ban riders under 15 and require licensing, registration, and insurance for all owners.
That is putting police departments like Lavallette on notice.
“We’ve seen the new law, not much as far as practical guidance. We’ve talked to some kids about bikes and how it’s going to work out once July comes. Right now, once we’re just trying to get the word out,” said Chief Christian LaCicero, of the Lavallette Police Department
The city of Hoboken has already issued more than 180 citations since the new laws were signed in January. Other towns like Lavallette and Seaside Heights are still in the educational period.
Seaside Heights Police Chief Tommy Boyd praised the state’s efforts to regulate the e-bikes and issued a memo to his department to help better understand what they’ll be required to enforce come July.
Insurance agent Chris San Filippo has already written a few policies at about a $100 a piece. But for now, the only guidance on the state’s website is to click a link and register for updates.
“What are the kids going to do? Are they going to get their moped licenses? I think the kids are going to have to figure it out and get moped licenses and then be added to insurance policies in their parents’ name,” said San Filippo.
Enforcement of the new e-bike laws is scheduled to begin on July 19.
