The popularity of electronic bikes is changing the landscape of Lincoln's hiking and biking trails and presenting a conundrum for city officials: how to regulate their use on those trails. Should they be considered motorized vehicles and prohibited? (They’re not considered that now). Should they be limited to certain speeds? Should they be treated like all other bicycles? Something in between? The issue came up recently during a City Council discussion on proposed amendments intended to clarify what can and can’t operate on both the interconnected trails that run through the city (multi-use trails) and those confined to parks (hiker-biker trails).
City ordinance already prohibits any vehicle, bike, trike, horse (really) or other animal (also true) from going more than 25 mph on the trails. An amendment proposed by city Parks and Recreation officials would explicitly prohibit mopeds, golf carts, motor vehicles, motorcycles, tractors, off-road vehicles, go-karts, riding lawn mowers, garden tractors, ATVs, snowmobiles and gas-powered bicycles. The proposed changes don’t mention e-bikes, because that’s a whole different discussion.
“A broad and constantly evolving range of electrically powered devices like e-bikes and e-scooters are entering the marketplace and their use is growing in Lincoln,” Lincoln Parks and Recreation Director Maggie Stuckey-Ross told the council. “Multiple city departments will be coming together in the coming months to look at the new landsca.