SAUGUS — The town held an e-bike forum Thursday night to begin educating residents about the vehicles, which have been appearing more frequently, especially among younger riders.
Chair of the Selectmen Debra Panetta kicked off the forum by welcoming everyone and introducing the panelists who would join the discussion. Panetta and many other town officials and Town Meeting members were among the driving forces behind the conversation about e-bikes and e-scooters.
“Last fall, our Board heard many concerns about e-bike safety. In fact, during Candidates’ Night, residents asked What steps do we plan to take to alleviate the concerns?’ Immediately after the election, the Board agreed that an educational forum, not just for students, but for all residents, would be an important step for our community,” Panetta said.
The Board reached out to the state delegation, including State Reps. Donald Wong and Jessica Giannino, along with Sen. Brendan Crighton, are to get things moving in the right direction.
First to speak on the panel was Judy Crocker, the statewide coordinator for the federally funded Safe Routes to School program, which originated in Denmark.
“It is a collaborative program, a community-centered program, it is K-12, and it really fosters a sense of community as much as focusing on just general safety and bridging that gap between health and transportation,” Crocker said.
Crocker explained that e-bikes weigh up to 80 pounds, do not require a driver’s license or insurance, and travel along roads with traffic.
“For bicycles, there are two different forms. We have pedal bikes, and truly, there is a style to fit everyone’s needs. And then we have electric bikes. They’re much more age-friendly… and it really does help to improve access to being outdoors and healthy living,” she said.
She also noted that, according to the Department of Transportation, there was an increase in accidents happening between those on e-bikes and bicycles with pedestrians.
Crocker also emphasized that children are not adults and must be treated differently, noting that risk-taking, reaction time, gross motor skills, and fine motor skills differ.
Police Chief Michael Ricciardelli spoke about the importance of public safety regarding e-bikes and how the department plans to be involved in e-bike safety.
“E-bikes, up until a couple of years ago, were a novelty, but it’s pretty safe to say they’re here to stay,” he noted.
Ricciardelli stated that e-bikes and e-scooters offer many advantages, but with those benefits come added responsibility.
“First and foremost, education is our primary tool, and I think that starts tonight,” he said. “…Many e-bikes, especially e-bike riders, especially young riders and parents, are not fully aware that e-bikes are regulated differently than traditional bicycles.”
He noted that he had heard that e-bikes were being reprogrammed to go faster, something called jailbreaking, getting them to exceed the typical 20 mph limit on most e-bikes.
“I think what we’re seeing is that the technology is progressing so rapidly that the laws are falling behind and it’s taking us a year or two to catch up,” Ricciardelli said.
He stated that the department is committed to working with local schools, youth organizations, and parent groups to explain e-bike laws and safe riding practices.
“That being said, education must be supported by enforcement at some point. If we see unsafe or illegal behavior such as excessive speed, reckless operation, riding where motorized vehicles are prohibited, or repeated violations, we’re prepared to take action. Our goal is not to punish these kids just for the sake of punishment, but our goal is prevention. Preventing a tragedy,” he said.
Kara Oberg, the owner of The Ride Cafe in Melrose, a Kids Learn to Ride instructor, a transportation planner, and a MassDOT Micromobility commissioner, not only spoke on rider safety, but also brought in some e-bikes to show the audience what a model looks like and some of the components.
“We are a bike and family travel shop. We offer bike sales, service, and rentals alongside refreshing cold brew,” Oberg said, continuing that part of the reason she opened the cafe was to foster a “vibrant bike community” and to help people have access to e-bikes.
Oberg went over the different classes of bikes, which include Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3.
Class 1 bikes have two to three wheels, a motor less than or equal to 750 watts, fully operational pedals, and a 20 mph max without a throttle. Class 2 includes all of those things, but has a throttle. Class 3 has a motor less than or equal to 750 watts, fully operational pedals, and goes a maximum of 28 mph without a throttle.
Another thing Oberg highlighted was why purchasing an e-bike that is UL-Certified matters, stating that UL Solutions independently tests electrical systems, ensures the highest safety standards in design and manufacturing, and reduces the risk of fire and failure.
Crighton spoke on what is currently being done at the state level when it comes to the increase in e-bikes and e-scooters around the Commonwealth.
“The problem, as you heard, is we’re seeing larger and faster devices hitting the market all the time. Anywhere you drive, really, in the Commonwealth, you see traditional e-bikes, but some of the devices we’re seeing now are out of science fiction movies. They’re things you would not expect to see on a roadway and certainly not on a sidewalk,” Crighton said.
He noted that state regulations have been inconsistent, not universal, and not adaptable.
A Micromobility Commission has been established to study the issue, and a report has been released on the findings.
“We’re now in the process of reviewing the regulations in the legislature. I think the goal again (is) we want to develop a universal and adaptable framework to make sure we are keeping up with the ever-changing devices that we see,” he said.
Last to speak was Saugus Middle High School Principal Carla Scuzzarella and School Committee Chair Tom Whittredge.
“As you’ve seen, the bikes are moving quickly, and we don’t have just e-bikes, we have e-scooters that come to the building, along with pedal bikes, regular scooters, skateboards, whatever has wheels they’re on,” she said.
Scuzzarella noted that there have been incidents of students crashing into each other, though thankfully, none of them have been serious.
“We are doing everything that we can think of to try and keep our students safe, but the reality of this is once they cross Pearce (Memorial Drive) and head down (Highland (Avenue) or our onto Main (Street), I lose my ability to hold them accountable and so now they become community of us trying to pay attention and see what’s going on. You all know the old saying that it takes a village to raise a child,” she said.
Whittredge had a similar view, noting the importance of education.
“None of this is going to matter if the messages don’t get home. That’s going to be the main problem: getting the parents to educate their own kids. We can only do so much. I’m looking out here right now, and I don’t see a lot of parents that should be here… The real people who need to hear it aren’t here. We can talk, teach, encourage all we want, but the real habits need to start at home,” he said.
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
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Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
