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Cyclist urges Wilkes-Barre to prioritize e-bike infrastructure and update comprehensive plan before zoning changes
Summary
A certified planner and resident urged council to focus on education and infrastructure, not registration, for e-bikes and said zoning changes must be grounded in an updated comprehensive plan; council asked staff for the 2019-20 bike-ped study and to track state legislation on e-bikes.
Brian Ferry, a certified planner and resident, told the Wilkes-Barre City Council that registration or licensing is a low priority for addressing e-bike concerns; instead he urged the city to invest in education and basic cycling infrastructure such as signage and painted lanes. "Education and infrastructure need to be the first priority," Ferry said, noting a 2019'120 bike-ped study by Barry Isaac/Barry Eisen and urging the council to implement recommendations rather than let the study sit on a shelf.
Ferry also cautioned that revisions to the city's zoning ordinance should follow an updated comprehensive plan. He noted the current plan dates referenced in the meeting as coming from the early 1970s, and said a zoning update must reflect goals and objectives in a modern comprehensive plan to avoid legal challenge.
Council members asked staff to share the bike-ped study with the council and to check the status of state legislation in Harrisburg that could add tools for local enforcement or regulation of e-bikes. No ordinance changes were proposed during the meeting; council asked for the study and follow-up from planning staff.
