Wheat Ridge may soon pass regulatory ordinances on e-bikes as city officials say usage of such devices has increased within the city.

The measures are proactive as e-bike usage has increased across the Denver metro area, according to city officials, but also come as residents in the community have expressed concerns about e-bike speeds, particularly along the Clear Creek Greenbelt. The Wheat Ridge Police Department has also noticed an increase in the use of e-bikes and similar devices, such as scooters, according to a memo in Monday’s Wheat Ridge City Council agenda packet.

As the usage of e-bikes and scooters has increased rapidly, municipal regulations have struggled to keep up, Eric Kellogg, Wheat Ridge police division chief, wrote in the memo to City Council, with Wheat Ridge currently having no regulations or ordinances on the books meant to address e-bikes.

E-bike and scooter safety has been a hot topic in Colorado recently as crashes and unsafe riding have been reported.

The regulations Wheat Ridge is considering adopting include establishing speed limits for multi-use trails and possibly ban higher-speed bikes from trails, require minors to wear helmets when riding, require bikes to use reflective gear after dusk and establish a minimum age for usage. 

Kellogg told council members during Monday’s meeting that the proposed regulations come amid a rise in crashes and fatalities across the country relating to e-bike usage, with many riders of the bikes being younger people who may not have a driver’s license.

Wheat Ridge is also considering aligning city definitions of e-bike classes with state statutes. Currently, Colorado recognizes three classes of e-bikes” Class 1 includes pedal-assist bikes that cut off at 20 mph, Class 2 includes throttle-capable bikes that can propel without pedaling and are also limited to under 20 mph, while Class 3 includes bikes that can go as fast as 28 mph.

Wheat Ridge does not have any current contracts or agreements with e-bike and scooter providers. Amanda Harrison, communications and engagement manager with Wheat Ridge, said via email that the increase in e-bike usage can be attributed to privately-owned bikes and ones ridden into Wheat Ridge from other communities.

During Monday’s meeting, council members expressed concerns about young riders taking the bikes to the streets, and also about speed enforcement, particularly with respect to e-motorcycles, which are bikes that can reach speeds as fast as 60 mph.

Council member Jenny Snell said she would like to see some consideration given to parental responsibility over younger riders. Council member Kathleen Martell agreed that more parental responsibility and education around e-bike usage is needed.

“I’d like to explore what it looks like for a minor to be operating this with no supervision or no guidance and exhibiting some behaviors that are going to hurt them eventually,” Snell said.

Snell also said she doesn’t want to impact people who genuinely rely on e-bikes for transportation and benefit from Colorado’s tax credit for e-bikes.

Harrison said there is no current timeframe for when or if an ordinance may be adopted.

The possible regulations come as many other municipalities in the Denver area have passed e-bike ordinances. 

Officials in Centennial are also considering passing e-bike regulations that would ban Class 3 bikes and motos unless they are being ridden on a public road and riders have proper insurance, and would allow for bikes ridden in violation of the ordinance to be impounded. 

Denver, which recently switched to Veo as an e-bike provider in the city, has also been attempting to work with the company to prevent riders from riding e-bikes on sidewalks.

Douglas County also recently passed an ordinance that imposes fines between $250 to $1,000 to parents who “causes, permits, or knowingly allows” a minor to operate an off-highway vehicle, including e-motos, on any public street, road, alley, trail, or other public property within the county in a way that violates state law or the ordinance.

Crashes have occurred with e-bike riders sharing the road with drivers. A 13-year-old boy who was riding an e-bike was killed earlier this summer in Denver after he was involved in a collision with a vehicle. A 35-year-old man was also killed in June after he rode an e-bike onto Interstate 70 in Denver while attempting to evade police.