Walk down any street around Queen’s and you will notice that e-bikes, electric scooters, and modified electric dirt bikes are everywhere.
Not all of them belong on the streets.
Kingston police issued a public advisory in late August warning the public about a surge in illegal electric vehicles seen on city streets, including bike lanes and public trails. The warning came just before thousands of Queen’s students moved back into the city this past weekend, with police and by-law compliance announcing there will be increased enforcement in the city and university district during the first week of school.
This timing was not a coincidence.
E-bikes have been surging in popularity, promoting a quick and affordable method of transportation. They are cheaper than a car, faster than walking, and, unlike regular bicycles, they do not require physical exertion for power. As the market has exploded, so has the variety of models being sold, and a growing number of these devices do not meet the provinces definition of an e-bike.
Under Ontario’s Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, a legal e-bike must have working pedals, the motor cannot be greater than 500 watts and 32 km/h max. which cuts power off any higher. Riders must also be 16 years-old or older, wear an approved helmet, and follow the same regulations on the road as cyclists.
What Kingston police have been witnessing is a whole different product.
Electric dirt bikes, like Talaria and Sur-ron, have no pedals and can reach speeds of 80 km/h stock. Modifications can bring this to over 100 km/h. Under the law, these are off-road vehicles, only permitted on private property. Driving one on public roadways can result in the same charge as operating an unregistered motor vehicle.
Eric Wainwright, an e-bike technician and representative of I-Cycle Electric Bike Co. in Kingston, said the distinction between what his store sells and what is making the headlines could not be clearer.
“Those are clearly not bicycles,” Wainwright said in an interview with The Journal. “There’s no pedals. There’s no way to cycle.”
He described the danger of these models simply.
“You put sneakers, shorts, a t-shirt, and maybe a helmet on a 13-year-old and say go have fun. That’s dangerous. You know, riding the wrong way up one-way streets or into oncoming traffic. This is not Grand Theft Auto where there is a stop button.”
Wainwright said that legal e-bikes are more than capable of getting students and commuters to where they need to be. “32 km/h is not really dangerous,” he said. “Basically, the speed of a galloping horse. It’s quick enough to get you where you’re going in a reasonable time.”
He described how the store has seen a strong growth in young riders, including students at local post-secondary institutions, and military personnel from Canadian Forces Base Kingston who are looking to get to work without breaking a sweat.
“They’ll ride home without any assist because they want the workout,” he said. “They’re getting the best of both worlds.”
This idea resonates closely with Mark Hogan, a Queen’s University student and Kingston resident, whose appeal for using e-bikes goes beyond getting fast transportation. “It was a gift from my father when I was a teenager, who wanted to experiment with the technology. I didn’t use it as much for transportation at first it, was more for personal enjoyment. But it’s cheaper than a car, more enjoyable than a regular bike, and faster than the bus,” Hogan said.
Wainwright followed along these lines, mentioning that the appeal of e-bikes goes beyond helping people get from point A to point B.
“Anything we can do to get more people out of cars and out getting some healthy exercise, whether assisted or not, I think is a great idea,” he said. “Every time I see a cyclist, whether assisted or not, and I’m driving my vehicle, I think that’s one less pickup in front of me at the light.”
Tags
bicycles, cyclists, e-bikes, electric scooters, Safety, Transportation
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