This is really a stupid and anti-bicycle law, hopefully others won’t follow.
And shown on the picture is yet another pseudo electric motorcycle abomination of a fat bike instead of an actual average ebike to make the argument look sane.
Meanwhile, like every other US state New Jersey has made absolutely zero effort to include these inevitable vehicles in any road or transportation planning whatsoever, guaranteeing that every time one is used it’s either getting in the way of a driver or bringing a motor into an otherwise non-motorized space. Thereby generating legislation that ensures the “maximum pain” period of increasing adopting with zero infrastructure support lasts as long as possible.
Yeah, that’s the main problem. They are obviously here, and people obviously want to use them, so they will. Pretending like they dont exist only makes things suck for everyone.
We need clear policy and enforcement.
Specifically, that clear policy needs to include funding and planning for micromobility infrastructure. I want to emphasize, the real important missing piece here is infrastructure.
This is something that even the bike-friendly European nations seem to be struggling with at the moment.
related ☞ Amsterdam prepares to ‘ban the fatbikes’ amid rise in serious accidents
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/25/amsterdam-prepares-to-ban-the-fatbikes-amid-rise-in-serious-accidentsFatbikes and others are a joke. They are the humvee of the bikes. If you wanted to bike, go get a bike for 50€. If you want to use a motorcycle, get an old motorcycle. Those abominations are only there to count as bicycles so those fucks can use biking infra
As your link explains the proposal is just to ban them from parks and other low-speed pedestrian areas. Amsterdam hasn’t banned cars, they’re not about to ban ebikes.
If advocates are clever, this could be used against cars. One thing that I think prevents adoption of utility ebikes in areas they are most useful (relatively population dense areas) is that many people who might otherwise be interested in them do not have anywhere to park them.
Think of someone in an apartment or townhouse that relies on street parking. They might have a bike rack, or maybe they can carry a regular bicycle inside, but there often isnt space for something like a bakfiets that could absolutely replace a car.
If you decide to regulate them like cars, why shouldn’t people take up car parking spaces with them?
Literally none of this would be necessary if the US didn’t treat its speed limits like a loose suggestion.
Way to fuck it up. Well done idiots.
