Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Monroe resident says e-bike enabled recovery, cites research showing large increases in daily cycling
Summary
Jessica Guterman of Monroe told the Public Safety Committee that e-bikes expanded her ability to use local trails during injury recovery and cited studies she said show e-bike purchasers increased daily cycling from 1.3 to 5.72 miles on average.
Jessica Guterman, a Monroe resident, spoke during the meeting's public-comment period and described both research findings and her personal experience using an e-bike to recover from a knee injury.
Guterman said "research studies on e bikes have shown that people who purchase an e bike increase their bicycle use almost 4.5 times from 1.3 to 5.72 miles per day on average" and added that "1 in 4 e bike riders report physical impairments that keep them from riding a standard bicycle." She then told the committee that Monroe’s topography made traditional cycling difficult and that e-bikes enabled her to resume regular riding. Guterman provided trail-specific figures, saying the Badger State Trail has an elevation gain of "approximately 460 feet on a round trip ride north from Monroe to Monticello" and "approximate 270 feet elevation gain on a round trip ride from Monroe to Illinois State Line." She said her own e-bike has now accumulated more than 1,700 miles of riding and credited it with aiding her recovery: "But I wouldn't be where I am today in my recovery if it weren't for my e bike."
Guterman offered those points to inform the committee’s understanding of e-bike benefits for people with mobility limitations. The committee heard the testimony as part of its informational discussion and did not take regulatory action during the same meeting.
