As E-bikes and e-scooters have become more popular especially in cities - where driving a car can be tough - one Wilmington City Council member wants to put new laws on the books.
Zanthia Oliver recently introduced an ordinance to regulate and classify e-bikes and e-scooters in the city.
It mirrors state law in classifications. Class 1is a pedal assist with a maximum speed of 20 mph, and class 2 has a maximum speed of 20 mph with a throttle and pedals.
Class 3 is a pedal assist or throttle with a helmet required for all riders and the maximum speed of 28 mph, and the low speed e-scooters with a maximum speed of up to 15 mph.
The differences between the city’s proposed laws and the state? Age requirements.
The proposed ordinance says you must be 7-12 to operate e-bikes in classes 1 and 2 and supervised by a legal guardian or parent. 13 and older can ride alone. Riders must be 16 and older for a class 3 and 14 and older for e-scooters.
Oliver says there’s also an education element to her legislation.
"Putting out a card, an e-bike, e-scooter safety card to put in some of the schools and definitely down to the Urban Bike League. So when you come down there, you get a card and it's just to learn how to use your arm signals and requiring for everybody to wear a helmet, just some of the normal things that you should really know about it,” said Oliver. “And to obey all the traffic laws that the cars obey by."
The legislation also requires helmets for anyone under 18 and a class 3 e-bike.
Oliver explains why she introduced the legislation.
"It was legislation for the state, but it was no legislation in the city of Wilmington, so I wanted to put something together because it's been an increase of the e-bikes flying in between me, in front of me, coming down one way streets and this needed to be regulated in some kind of way," said Oliver.
Oliver notes she has also heard from civic associations about e-bikes and e-scooters.
