New Jersey governor Phil Murphy signed a controversial electric bicycle bill into law on Monday, which makes the US state the only one to require licences, registration and insurance for all ebikes.
The law places all ebikes in the same category, regardless of where they were in the three-class ebike classifications used across the USA, from those that can’t exceed 20mph to the faster e-moto bikes.
It also states that riders who are 14 or younger cannot use motorised bicycles or scooters.
What’s behind the law?
The new law takes effect amid the increased popularity of ebikes as a mode of transport in the USA and growing safety concerns.
The bill was inspired partly by the deaths of two ebike riders in separate incidents, alongside additional crashes.
Murphy signed the new ebike law just before leaving office on Tuesday, after two terms as governor of New Jersey.
“It is clear that we are in an age of increasing e-bike use that requires us to take action and update regulations that help prevent tragedies from occurring,” the Democrat said in a statement.
“Making our roads safer for all users has been a key priority for my Administration. I’d like to thank Senate President [Nicholas] Scutari for taking the initiative to improve the safe use of ebikes in New Jersey.”
New Jersey’s ebike laws hadn’t been updated since 2019. Scurati said: “We are in a new era of e-bike use that requires updated safety standards to help prevent accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
“Requiring registration and licensing will improve their safe use and having them insured will protect those injured in accidents.”
The law was passed by the state Senate by a 27-11 vote and by the state Assembly 52-10 on 12 January.
Criticism of the law
The law has been criticised by cycling advocates because it introduces barriers to micro-mobility and doesn’t solve the issues presented by higher-speed ebikes.
Debra Kagan, New Jersey Bike Walk Coalition executive director, told NJ.com: “This bill creates barriers to developing micro-mobility in the state as a safer, more equitable and more sustainable part of our transportation system.”
“It restricts low speed e-bike use while not addressing the real problem of high-speed motorized devices.
“The approach of this bill to restrict use of low-speed e-bikes will not solve the problems we face to make our streets safer,” she added.
Kagan and other cycling organisations have criticised New Jersey for not enforcing an existing 2019 law that requires registration, licence and insurance for class 3 motorised bicycles that have a maximum assisted speed of 28mph.
Patrick Cunnae, an advisor to New Jersey’s Hyper Bicycles, writing in Bicycle Retailer, described the bill as “fundamentally flawed”.
Cunnae said the impetus for the bill was the death of a 14-year-old in Union County, New Jersey, who was understood by the media and “most people” to be struck while riding an “ebike”.
“But the vehicle used here and in most other crashes of this nature was something very different: an electric moped or motorcycle (an "e-moto") that can go well over 30 miles an hour,” wrote Cunnae.
“Low-speed Class 1 and 2 ebikes should not be swept up in a rush to address safety concerns and tragedies involving faster e-motos,” he added.
US cycling advocacy group People For Bikes said the law sets up New Jersey to become “the most unfriendly state for bicycling”.
“The final bill places unnecessary and burdensome restrictions on low-speed ebikes while leaving higher-risk vehicles like electric mopeds and motorcycles without additional regulations,” it said.
The coalition said it was “disappointed” by the bill but is encouraged by those who rallied in support of amending and improving its language.
“We are currently cooperating on draft language for a new bill to address the issues created by this legislation and redirect the focus of regulatory and safety efforts on e-motos, the high-speed electric mopeds, motorcycles, and dirt bikes being marketed to kids in New Jersey and across the country and the same devices involved in recent fatal crashes that led to this bill,” People For Bikes said.
Ebike riders have until 19 July to obtain a licence and registration through the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission, according to the New Jersey Bicycle and Pedestrian Resource Center.
