Oregon’s Legislative Assembly wants to prohibit Class 3 e-bikes from using sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and bike paths with a recently proposed bill. Class 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist only, with no throttle and a maximum assisted speed of 28 mph. Credit: rawpixel.com The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 471 , amends several Oregon statutes and outlines specific restrictions and exemptions for these high-speed e-bikes, according to a KMTR news report.
The bill would give a Class D violation to e-bike riders who use a sidewalk, bicycle path, or bicycle lane, but exemptions would be allowed for Class 3 e-bikes powered exclusively by human power.
The bill states that these e-bikes would be exempted from right-of-way protections afforded to bicycles, according to existing Oregon law. This removes the “bicycle” status from Class 3s and would not be legally protected if a driver failed to yield to them in a bike lane.
The bill also seeks to add an improper use of lanes provision, allowing the legal right to use a bike lane or bike path only when under human power, according to reporting by BikePortland .
If the Oregon Legislative Assembly approves the bill, it will go into effect this year, as more and more cities are clamping down on e-bike use of bike lanes and sidewalks traditionally legal for bicycles.
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