|
|
I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it really irks me when they pull out the exercise/obesity/health benefits card!! Why is this even up for discussion? As had already been well said in this thread by Allan, you can't single out ebikes using this rationale, if you aren't going to also attack cars!
I have an e-scooter... it is simply used to get me to and from work, and for the odd errand. I chose it, not because I am obese, or unable to ride a bicycle, nor because I plan on getting obese, but simply because getting to and from work is far enough that I get there all gross and sweaty, there is no place to shower, and I work 12 hour shifts often without a lunch or a break, and often with overtime on top of that, the last thing I want to do after a night shift where I am exhausted is climb on my bicycle for the ride home. I ride my mountain bike on trails almost every weekend... I love it!! i HATE riding it to and from work.
The bus from my area, and my timing is not really a good option, unless I want my 10 minute commute by e-scooter to become a 45 minute commute... again, after a 12 hour shift, the last thing I want to do.
I used to have this slight guilt complex, and maybe I still do, when I motor up the hill to work. I feel a little guilty that I am doing it under electric power, and because I am capable, I feel that I should be doing it under pedal power (we all know that is really not an option on the e-scooter though). But, then I get up to work and see the parking lot full of cars, and many of those are of people that live even half the distance I do away from work... and I think ALL those people just came up that hill using gas power! The big difference? I don't need to fight for parking... I park my scooter for free with the other bikes!
Anyway, long story short, I don't believe that all people buy e-scooters/bikes because they are lazy or obese, granted, there are many that do have some physical limitations (bad knees,etc), but I think that there are a large proportion of people that just choose these bikes as a practical and inexpensive way to get from point a to point b.
andrea
|
|
Plus One on that Andrea! Unfortunately it seems only folks with negative views about ebikes send their thoughts to their local newspapers... Dunno if you would polish/re-write but... editor@guelphmercury.com http://www.guelphtrib...  LocK
|
|
|
http://blog.rogersbro...600CKAT North Bay News
Discussion Will Continue Over City Council’s Proposed E-Bike Motion
November 13th, 2011
A motion involving E-Bikes has been pulled from Council’s agenda Monday. The original recommendation includes not allowing e-bikes on the Kate Pace Way and North Bay Mattawa Conservation Trails. Owner of the e-bike store, EMMO North Bay, Rick Fricker, says he supports the idea. He says e-bikes are meant for the streets. Fricker says the paths are for recreational use and e-bikes are not recreational vehicles. The proposal was supposed to be voted on at Monday night’s meeting, but has been withdrawn for the time being. Meantime, one public presentation in the issue is scheduled.
Written by: jennifer.sapinet@northbayradio.rogers.com Bit of a mystery... proposed by-law yanked at the last minute? From the full agenda for the meeting: http://www.city.north... So much dumb stuff in this proposed by-law... Lock
Edited by lOCk on Nov 14, 2011 8:08 PM
|
|
|
http://www.thesudbury...E-bikes pulled from council agenda
By GORD YOUNG, QMI AGENCY
Posted 4 hours ago
NORTH BAY -- Municipal politicians won't be voting on whether or not to ban e-bikes on area trails until later this month.
The matter was expected to come before council tonight, but deputy mayor Peter Chirico, chairman of general government, said it has been withdrawn so he can gather more information.
Chirico was absent from last week's committee discussions, which resulted in a recommendation calling for power-assisted bicycles to be prohibited from trails, including the Kate Pace Way.
Chirico said the issue will be dealt with during council's Nov. 28 meeting.
There is, however, a public presentation by Robert Stevens regarding e-bikes on tonight's council agenda.
A number of municipal politicians agreed last week that the bikes, which are powered by electric motors, should be banned from trails due to their heavy weight and speed capabilities compared to other trail users, such as pedestrians and conventional cyclists.
Some e-bike riders have agreed with the recommendation.
But others argue the city should simply enforce a speed limit and allow the e-bikes anywhere a conventional bicycle is permitted.
City staff had initially recommended e-bikes be permitted anywhere bicycles are allowed under the Highway Traffic Act and city bylaws, except on area trails, where they would have to be in pedal mode.
But most council members agreed it would be virtually impossible to enforce a pedal-only restriction and opted to ban e-bikes from trails altogether, especially after hearing that many models are simply too heavy to make pedalling practical.
According to city staff, the bicycles, which are powered by electric motors, can weigh up to 250 pounds and travel at speeds of up to 32 km/h.
A driver's licence is not required, nor is there a written test, vehicle registration, plate or insurance.
North Bay Nugget
|
|
|
Chirico said the issue will be dealt with during council's Nov. 28 meeting. ...waiting for word on what happened at this meeting... Meanwhile, this letter to the Eds from Nov.17 is pretty fun: http://www.northbayni... Thursday, November, 17, 2011 - 1:01:29 PM
No sense in e-bike debate
To the Editor:
I would like to commend you and your staff on the excellent editorial comment and reporting in your Nov. 10 issue on the e-bike controversy.
It is apparent that there are some members on North Bay City council who are afflicted with respect to the e-bike issue. You would think that by this stage in the proceedings they would have done their homework about the operation of e-bikes and the purpose and usage of the city bike paths/trails. As such, they are not qualified to rule on an issue that has life or death consequences to North Bay residents.
Any bike that I ride, I ride to get from point A to point B in an environmentally friendly fashion. I have been doing so since 1985. A stated objection to e-bikes is their point A to point B purpose only. Does this mean that I will no longer be allowed to ride my pedal bike on the bike path because I am only going from point A to point B? In fact, is this the first step in a sinister plot to ban all bicycles from the bike path? On the other hand, if pedal bikes are allowed to use the bike path to travel from point A to point B, then why can’t e-bikes do the same?
Another objection is the 32 km/h speeds that e-bikes can attain. Standard equipment on an e-bike is a speedometer to allow them to maintain the posted and legal speed limits. So while e-bikes are able to obey the 20 km/h bike path speed limit, most pedal bikes cannot and travel at Lord knows what speed on the bike path.
The heavier weight of the e-bikes is also a concern. Yet tandem bikes (a bicycle built for two) are allowed on the path. How is the weight of a tandem bike with two adults on it any different than an e-bike with a single rider?
Yet another concern is the silent mode of operation of an e-bike and its ability to sneak up on pedestrians. A well-maintained pedal bike is just as quiet. Proper bike path etiquette would have the cyclist alert pedestrians of their intention to pass from behind by ringing their bell or making a verbal announcement.
My e-bike is the largest one they make. However, when comparing handlebar span and fore and aft length, it is no bigger than my mountain bike, which has wing handlebars and a big basket upfront.
The fact that e-bikes are not licenced is also not a factor. Most e-bikers either have or have had a drivers’ licence and are thus aware of the rules of the road. Not as with young cyclists who more likely to be involved in an accident.
The bottom line is that a properly operated e-bike is no more than, and some times less than, a hazard posed by other bikes using the bike path. Accidents are caused when people disobey the rules or do something stupid. If everybody obeys the rules and cycles safely there is no need to ban e-bikes from the bike path.
Hank Dielwart
North Bay
|
|
|
Go Hank Go! http://www.northbayni...Wednesday, November, 23, 2011 - 12:12:29 PM
More to say on e-bikes
To the Editor:
City council’s decision to postpone the vote on the e-bike issue is a tacit admission as to council’s unpreparedness to competently rule on an issue that has life or death implication for e-bikers. I consider city council’s performance to date on this issue to be an embarrassment to the City.
In the wake of recent cyclist fatalities in Ottawa and Toronto, the province is looking into ways to make cycling safer. Bike paths and lanes are a key component of that strategy. Meanwhile, North Bay councillors are intent on making cycling more dangerous for e-bikers. What incentive is there for people to do the environmentally friendly thing when doing so puts their life in jeopardy?
Councillor Judy Koziol recommended banning e-bikes from the bike path and instead allowing them to use city sidewalks. The wheel size on e-bikes falls within the 16 inch wheel size cut off for bikes allowed to use the sidewalks. I don’t know what the original complaint was that touched off the e-bike issue, but I suspect it was a pedestrian on the bike path who felt threatened by the presence of an e-bike. So, ban e-bikes from the bike path to safeguard pedestrians on the path and let e-bikes loose on the sidewalks amongst even more pedestrians.
Councillor Tanya Vrebosch-Merry suggested imposing speed limits on the bike path. A 20 km/h speed limit has been in place for many years. The e-bikes council is proposing to ban come equipped with a speedometer and are able to obey thhe posted speed limit, unlike most other bikes. City council is overly impressed by the 32 km/h speed capability of the e-bike. Yet, of all the adult bikes, the e-bike is the slowest. I own three bikes.
My fastest bike is my mountain bike. It has 21 speeds and it was not unusual to maintain speeds of 35 to 40 km/h while heading south on Lakeshore Drive.
Next is my hybrid bike. The electric motor shuts down once a speed of 32 kn/h is reached.
Slowest of my bikes is my e-bike. It is limited by law to 32 km/h. This speed is only attained with a full battery charge. As the battery charge wears down, the maximum speed drops. For this reason, even off the bike path, I normally travel at 20 km/h.
If city council gets its way, the bike most in need of the safety of the bike path will be banned from using it. I can almost keep up with the rush hour traffic on Lakeshore Shore drive and Trout Lake Road on my mountain and hybrid bikes – they also accelerate faster than the e-bike. My slower moving e-bike will be a target for impatient and uncourteous motorists. I must admit that as a motorist I would not like to put up with myself on an e-bike during rush hour traffic.
It took one complaint to City Hall to initiate a process that would ban e-bikes from the bike path. It would be interesting to know how many incidents involving e-bike running into pedestrians or other cyclists have occurred on the bike path. My guess is none since such an occurance would have gotten prominent media coverage. But we do know that there have been collisions between cars and cyclists in North Bay.
I don’t think anyone will deny that North Bay streets are not as safe as they could be for cyclists, especially the main arteries. This is why bike paths and bike lanes are created – to deconflict the slower moving bikes from the faster moving motor vehicles. The province has seen fit to give e-bikes the same status as conventional bikes in recognition of the vulnerability that both types of bikes share on the road.
The North Bay trails should be called bike path/recreational trails so that motorized vehicles not recognized as bicycles are not allowed on the bike path. The City should also establish an educational program to inform bike path/recreational trail users as to what rules and etiquette are expected to be used by path/trail users. The City should also stage bicycle safety blitzes aimed at cyclists violating applicable laws and at motorists who fail to share the road with cyclists.
We don’t really need any new laws. We only need enforcement of existing laws. A little common sense would also be nice to have.
Hank Dielwart
North Bay EDIT: BTW, seen here: http://www.pionair.en... Henry ("Hank") Dielwart in 041 accompanied by a greatly modified Chipmunk
near Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Hank regularly flies his Chipmunk from his home
in North Bay, Ontario to the annual monster Oshkosh fly-in where he is
well known by the locals and regular attendees.
Edited by lOCk on Nov 29, 2011 8:08 AM
|
|
|
Another pretty cool article from earlier in November: http://www.northbayni...Wednesday, November, 09, 2011 - 11:11:29 AM
Senor angered by e-bike recommendations
NORTH BAY – Councillors took a razing after the Nov. 8 committee meeting for not knowing the city’s trail regulations.
“There’s already a 20 km/h speed limit on the Kate Paceway,” said senior citizen Joe Girard, one of several spectators who took councillors to task. “You’d think they’d know that. It’s clearly posted.”
Girard, an e-bike rider, was referring to several comments by both councillors and city CAO David Linkie about possibly putting speed limits on trails within city limits to address concerns about e-bike traffic.
He said he was also unimpressed with the recommendations from the meeting that suggest council ban e-bikes from city trails. Girard uses the Kate Paceway to travel from North Bay to Callander on his e-bike.
“I’ll have to use the highway if council approves this,” he said. “Traffic doesn’t like e-bikes and traveling at 30 km/h on the highway is not very practical. But it looks like I’m not going to have an option.”
Girard also questions many of the councillors’ comments about e-bikes as a safety concern for other trail users.
“Racing bikes can go at 50 km/h. They go sailing past me on the trail, sometimes as many as four or five a row. Is that safe?”
He also said allowing a bicycle to haul a double trailer, or child carrier, but banning e-bikes from doing the same thing was “ridiculous.“
“There are more and more of these e-bikes being used all the time, especially by seniors,” Girard said. “Someone’s going to get badly hurt, or killed, because they (council) pushed them on to the highways and roads.”
Story by Laurel J. Campbell lcampbell@metrolandnorthmedia.com Yay Joe! L0cK
|
|
|
http://www.nugget.ca/...E-bike restrictions debated
By GORD YOUNG The Nugget
Posted 30 minutes ago
Municipal politicians are at odds over whether the city should be putting the brakes on where e-bikes can ride.
Deputy mayor Peter Chirico tabled a recommendation during committee discussions Monday calling for a letter to be sent to Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli asking that he set out guidelines and regulations for the machines in light of their popularity and ensuing safety concerns.
“I don’t think we are the ones who should be deciding what the laws should be,” said Chirico.
He said the e-bike issue appeared to be a simple matter last year when the city first started talking about whether they should or shouldn’t be permitted on area trails including the Kate Pace Way.
But Chirico said it became apparent as the city delved deeper that the issue was in fact cloudy and complicated, particularly surrounding the definition of an e-bike and how it differs from a scooter.
There are many different makes and models of e-bikes, which are powered by electric motors, can weigh up to 250 pounds and travel at speeds of up to 32 km/h. A driver's licence is not required, nor is there a written test, vehicle registration, plate or insurance.
Chirico said he would rather appeal to the common sense of the community when it comes to the operation of e-bikes than see the city wade into the murky waters of trying to regulate them.
Several others around the table agreed that the province should be deciding the rules for e-bikes, but they disagreed that city should do nothing to regulate the machines.
Coun. Judy Koziol noted that the city has in the past acted as a leader on provincial issues including smoking in public places and pesticide use.
And Koziol said she believes there are safety issues associated with e-bikes, especially when they are used on trails shared by children.
She acknowledged that any bylaw aimed at policing e-bikes would be difficult for the city to enforce. But Koziol said a bylaw would at least allow police and the city’s enforcement officer to act.
Coun. George Maroosis backed Coun. Mike Anthony’s suggestion that e-bikes should only be permitted on trails if they're being pedalled.
He suggested city residents would police themselves by reporting violators if such a bylaw where in place.
Mayor Al McDonald said he also has concerns about the use of e-bikes on area trails.
E-bikes are regulated as bicycles under the Highway Traffic Act, with two noted exceptions: Operators must be 16 years of age or older; and all operators must wear an approved bicycle helmet at all times.
The machines are allowed to travel anywhere bicycles are permitted, although municipalities have the power to prohibit them from roads, sidewalks, bike paths, trails and bike lanes.
Council is expected to vote on Chirico’s recommendation Monday, although its possible an amendment may be tabled given the lack of support around the table this week.
gord.young@sunmedia.ca
|
|
|
Yes, think of the children! (I am not sure why children should be wandering multi-use trails unescorted and unsupervised, it's not like there are any speeding bicycles and roller bladers around).
British Columbia allowed ebikes years before Ontario and look at the statistics out there, okay nothing so far. And Ontario has had ebikes for 6 years now and look at the horrible statistics here, okay nothing here so far either, but mark my words there will be. Terrible. Okay so there has been no accidents so far, but a lot of people say they have been startled because they are so quiet, and have had near misses, and after all think of the children.
Edited by Allan Harmsworth on May 8, 2012 12:14 AM
|
|
|
http://www.nugget.ca/...Are E bikes a hazard?
Posted By MACLA
11 hours ago
City council was debating about E bikes last night.
Where do you think E bikes belong? On the streets,sidewalks or other. If you had close calls with one, let us know how and who do you think was in the wrong. [C]omments so far... It has to be determined where they belong. Yesterday, I'm at the corner of McIntyre and John waiting to turn right on John. My flasher is on and waiting to turn, then the light turns green, with the walking man sign on. I start to turn when suddenly this E bike, coming from behind, I looked in my side mirror but don't see anything. Just then, this E bike passed me on the right, between the street and sidewalk. I never saw him coming. It was a close call. Who would be responsible? The E biker or myself?
Post #1 By MACLA, 11 hours ago
One way to solve this little problem is when one is in the right lane,and planing to make a right turn, be close enough to the curb so that there is not enough room for an ebike or a bicycle to pass on the right.
Post #2 By Devil's-Attorney, 6 hours ago
I think it's fairly simple: they are a MOTORIZED vehicle, they belong on roads NOT the bike paths and certainly not on the sidewalks. Sidewalks are for pedestrians ONLY, even regular bikes should not be allowed on the sidewalk (unless it is a child)
Post #3 By Angelgirl29, 5 hours ago
I am a responsible ebike owner. I use signals, both on the bike and I use hand signals, my horn, I obey traffic rules, I'm 30 years old and female, I wear a helmet, I respect other people including drivers who don't wish to share any part of the road with either ebikes or pedal bikes and I use my pedals.
A few of these ebikers are not truly into the mode but just need a cheap quick ride without any consideration for anyone else and don't feel they are responsible for their actions which is detrimental to those who really enjoy bikes. I think ebikes shouldn't be allowed on sidewalks just like pedal bikes aren't allowed, I avoid busy roads as I fear for my life due to drivers (even on my pedal bike) and stick to quieter streets even if it takes longer to get where I'm going, it's a little disheartening that I won't be able to use the bike path and see parts of the city that you can't see otherwise.
I think North Bay should be a leader in the electric transportation movement and promote the idea of environmentally friendly modes of transport not demonize ebike riders so if you see me on my red ebike with my black and ivory striped helmet puttering around North Bay, be nice and wave and I'll wave back as long as your wave isn't a middle finger salute (even then I might still give you a smile and wave back)
Post #4 By chicky82, 5 hours ago
I think if ebikes want to use the city streets they should have a license and insurance. my friends car was damaged but an ebike last year and his insurance had to cover the costs and his rates went up a lot.
Post #5 By steve1982, 4 hours ago
you need a license and insurance to operate a moped which is a gas powered equivalent to an ebike
Post #6 By steve1982, 4 hours ago
I think part of the problem is that the province has an overly broad definition of ebike that includes low-speed electric scooters. Most of these "ebikes" have a big footprint and some when not driven (note I said 'driven') properly take up half or more of the width of the bikepath, which on summer weekends is usually congested with walkers, joggers, rollerbladers, parents with strollers, those rental bike "vehicles", skateboarders, and of course regular cyclists, not to mention the occasional wheelchair.
I think the suggestion that e-bikes should only be permitted on trails if they're being pedalled may help, since it would eliminate the many electric scooters which only have pedals so they qualify as ebikes. But I doubt that's enforceable.
I think the real solution is to re-define ebikes imposing a maximum width, or a maximum footprint.
Post #7 By brainstrained, 4 hours ago
Hmmm....if there are a number of e-bikers who don't know or understand the rules, then perhaps they should be required to take some sort of instruction so that they know the rules of the road. If they already have a driver's license, then that should be sufficient.
I am a senior citizen, well into my seventh decade, with poor eyesight, and I usually don't even mind bicycles riding on the sidewalk, especially on a busy street like Trout Lake Road. I sure would not want to be on that street with a bicycle.... but I had an experience two weeks ago when a cyclist...not a child...drove up behind me just as I stepped to the right to avoid an oncoming cyclist...and the adult approaching from behind had to come to a sudden stop and was a bit upset with me. She informed me in no uncertain terms, that she had said "coming through", and I said that I did not hear her because of the traffic along the busy street...Trout Lake Road...and that I had been listening to the CBC on my earbuds as I walked...and in a bit of a huff, she informed me, in no uncertain terms, that what I was doing was dangerous, indicating that I should not have been listening to my radio as I walked. I was not crossing the street, I was not crossing the railroad tracks. She went on her way in a huff. God help the hearing impaired who are walking on the sidewalk who don't have eyes in the back of their heads.
Post #8 By Devil's-Attorney, 4 hours ago Continues...
|
People in this
