COLORADO SPRINGS — E-bike sales are rapidly rising across the United States, especially in Colorado.
According to the non-profit Bike Colorado, the state currently leads all other states with incentives to encourage people to use e-bikes as a transportation alternative.
In some areas, it appears rules need to catch up to e-bike expansion.
Signs that just went up in Colorado Springs' open space parks remind us that e-bikes and other forms of motorized assist devices are prohibited in open spaces.
“To notify citizens that we are not at this time allowing motorized uses including e-bikes, scooters, within our open spaces,” said Colorado Springs Parks, TOPS Manager, Lonna Thelen.
Some think the prohibition is great, while others would like to see that change to allow some e-bikes.
“Definitely know that it's something that we do need to address and we'll be addressing it,” said Thelen.
The non-profit Trails and Open Space Coalition (TOSC) tracks the e-bike trend and has studied the impact on trail systems.
“We've been watching this trend truly for years,” said TOSC Executive Director, Susan Davies.
They want to know things like the impact on the sustainability of trails.
“We know the bikes are heavier than regular mountain bikes but nonetheless, they're just not seeing, you know, bad cases of erosion or other things,” said Davies, “The trails don't seem to degrade any faster.”
TOSC also considers what the e-bike option could mean to people who use open spaces and trails.
The trail advocacy groups endorse slower speed, pedaling required Class 1 e-bikes on open space trails.
“What we're hearing, anecdotally, is that the bulk of the people buying mountain e-bikes are older, and they tend to be a little more conservative on trails,” said Davies, “So we're not hearing of the altercations. What we are hearing is people who were not using the trails are back using the trails.”
“I hope they keep the out of open spaces,” said a woman finishing a hike in Stratton Open Space.
She is among critics who think any e-assist devices are not appropriate on open space trails.
Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are currently permitted on the city’s urban trails.
City planners have started looking at current rules and whether they should be adjusted for open spaces.
Part of the process is learning from rules already in place in other cities.
“There are multiple different ways to look at it,” said Thelen, “There could be, in certain open spaces, not in other open spaces, on certain trails, not other trails, you know, we really have to evaluate what's best for the community.”
After ideas are compiled there will be a period for public input.
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