Safe Routes to School and local police urge caution on e-bikes for young riders

Judy Crocker, statewide coordinator for Massachusetts Safe Routes to School, told a Northborough–Southborough Health Week audience that the mobility and health benefits of biking are clear but that e-bikes raise safety and enforcement challenges—especially for students.

Crocker said national guidance and recent commission work point to concerns for minors: "Their blanket statement is, don't let children 16 ride electric scooters," she said, citing the American Academy of Pediatrics guidance and noting she would "extrapolate that to say also electric bikes." She told the audience that heavier batteries and higher speeds mean young riders must ‘‘relearn how to ride a bike’’ and that those changes increase stopping distances and injury severity.

Ethan Terrell of Landry's Bicycles described the technical differences between device classes and why that matters on the road. Terrell explained that class 1 and class 2 e-bikes generally assist up to about 20 miles per hour while class 3 pedal-assist models can assist to roughly 28 mph, and he cautioned that heavier batteries and motors change handling and braking needs. "It's not that e bikes are inherently bad," Terrell said, "they open up the opportunity to people who might not otherwise have it," but he urged riders to match the bike to the use case and to prefer UL-certified components.

Local officers outlined enforcement and local school policy. Sergeant Bissett of the Northborough Police Department summarized Massachusetts practice: "If a ebike provides power up to 20 miles an hour, that's what an ebike is," and added bluntly, "anything with a motor cannot be on a sidewalk. Period. End of story." Bissett also said Northborough and Southborough school systems this year prohibited e-bike operation on school property and encouraged parents to consult local police when choosing a purchase.

Speakers said classification and enforcement are complicated by inconsistent labeling, user modifications and online imports. Crocker described recommendations from the MassDOT Micromobility Commission to standardize vehicle classes and suggested limiting nonlicensed riders (typically students) to bikes that cannot exceed what a rider can humanly pedal (about 15 mph). The presenters noted other states' approaches were under discussion and that Massachusetts currently lacks a uniform designation for class 3 vehicles.

Audience members asked about learn-to-ride clinics and shop-based training. Terrell said some organizations run controlled-environment clinics (more common inside the I‑95 ring), but many retail shops avoid offering them because of insurance exposure; recreation departments and third-party organizations may be better equipped to run supervised practice sessions.

Presenters closed with practical safety guidance: wear a properly fitted helmet (Massachusetts law requires helmets for riders 16 and under), check UL certification and brakes on e-bikes, and buy from local shops that can perform maintenance. Crocker said the Safe Routes to School handout and webinar materials will be made available to attendees and thanked the Northborough and Southborough police and Landry's Bike Shop for participating.

The presentation did not propose local legislation; speakers urged following forthcoming state recommendations and working with schools and police on local education and enforcement.