Colorado Springs postpones start of yearlong pilot program for electric bicycles in parks

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- City officials announced Thursday that a yearlong pilot program to expand the use of electric bikes in parks will be delayed until further notice.

The program was scheduled to begin Monday but has been delayed because of legal questions regarding whether "e-bikes" are considered motorized or non-motorized vehicles.

Federal and state regulations reportedly define e-bikes as non-motorized bicycles and city codes generally prohibit motorized vehicles on trails -- which has allowed the use of certain e-bikes there.

However, the federal and state regulations apparently pertain only to road use of e-bikes, and that definition may not legally apply to city trails.

The city attorney's office is reviewing the matter, which may lead to code changes requiring a recommendation by the parks board and approval by the City Council.

E-bikes have become increasingly popular in recent years, fueling a debate about whether they legally can or ethically should be used on traditional trails.

The two common versions of e-bikes are Class 1, in which the electric drive is obtained only by pedaling ("pedal-assist"); and Class 2 ("throttle on demand"), in which pedaling or a mechanism activate the electric drive. City speeds of both are limited to a maximum of 15 mph and 750 watts of power.

Under the pilot program, Class 1 e-bike access would have been expanded to all city-owned trails and Class 2 e-bikes would have been allowed on city-owned urban (paved) trails for the first time. 

Kurt Schroeder, maintenance and operation manager for the city's Department of Parks & Recreation, explains why Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on paved trails but not on unpaved trails.

"Feedback we've seen on different forums and the like, that's not as well accepted when you're putting them in... the back country, let's say," he said. "So it's a value judgment we made."

E-bikers have been restricted largely to paved trails since 2018, but posted signs have done little to discourage e-bike use on other trails and in open spaces. The pilot program would have brought Class 2 e-bikes to some of the city's most popular places -- such as Red Rock Canyon, Palmer Park and North Cheyenne Cañon Park.

E-bike supporters believe that the vehicles provide an option to riders who are older or have physical limitations. But critics feel that the bikes don't belong on a landscape already occupied by walkers, joggers and hikers.

"The reason there's a big concern is because the mountain bikers who look at the soft surface trails as their domain, are concerned that e-bikes are going to do damage," said Kent Drummond, an e-bike owner. "We use electric power only as a temporary assist. We're not always buzzing around on them like a motorcycle or an ATV."

The pilot program resulted from community feedback and city research of e-bike usage in other cities. The program intends to evaluate e-bike usage and its impact on the city's trail system and overall user experience.

"This is really critical to understand to our pilot program, e-bikes and different kinds of e-transportation going down the road," Schroeder said. "This is an evolving industry, and what we're trying to do with the pilot project is to get our arms around what we know is the fact of the matter today."

Meanwhile, in Pueblo County, the Board of Commissioners accepted a grant of $135,000 Thursday from the Colorado Energy Office.

The funding will start an e-bike access program to low-income essential workers, issuing bikes to selected individuals free of charge.