Hi everyone,

It's been a while, but we have a new issue on Park Avenue and elsewhere in town and there is a super-easy way for you to provide input and stay informed. 

The new speed limit and speed monitoring signs have definitely calmed car and truck traffic on Park Avenue. But now with the rising popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters, we are seeing teens and tweens speeding down Park, even passing cars going at 30 mph. Sometimes with a friend on the back, doing tricks or while looking at their phones!

E-bikes that go over 30 mph are ILLEGAL on our roads, per state law.  These are either:

1. Legal Class 1 or 2 e-bikes/scooters that have been modified to go faster than their permitted 20 mph speed limit. There are various ways to "hack" the bikes, and these tricks spread easily among teens thanks to online influencers. You may not even know your own kid is doing this--but you can learn how to stay on top of it. 
2. Class 3 e-bikes that are meant to go up to 28 mph but are also either being hacked or pushed to their limits. To ride these, you have to be at least 15, have a moped license and follow other state laws.
3. A motorcycle or not-street-legal dirt bike masquerading as an e-bike (or sometimes not even bothering to be marketed as such). There are sellers out there who are more interested in making a profit than in making sure people get an e-bike appropriate to their age and skills. And they won't tell buyers that their product isn't legal in the state or on the road. 

We want encourage "micromobility" in town as a way to give people a means to get around without depending on a car, as well as give teens and tweens some independence and reason to be outside. But we want to make sure that they are riding safely -- for themselves, their friends, pedestrians, other bike users and drivers -- and riding legal vehicles so they don't end up confiscated. 

Learn everything you need to know at a new workshop being hosted by the Berkeley Heights Police Department and the new B.H. Complete & Green Streets Committee!

The Berkeley Heights Police Department and the B.H. Complete & Green Streets Committee are hosting

All Things E-Bike & E-Scooter Safety Workshop

from Avenues in Motion 

Have kids (middle school and older) with an e-bike or e-scooter or who want one for the holidays? Concerned about road safety in town as this new mode of transportation becomes more popular? Does your kid want an e-bike that goes faster than 20 mph? Guess what? That may be illegal. 

The Berkeley Heights Police Department strongly encourages all parents and their young e-riders to attend this safety workshop if they want to ride on the road. All riders need to know the basic rules of the road (the same as drivers)! Please expect BHPD to be more strongly enforcing them to keep everyone on the roads safe. The Township is in the process of  examining additional local safety laws, and we also want your input!

This Workshop will cover:

Rules and regulations of e-bikes/scooters

• Rules of the road
• Where to ride e-bikes/scooters safely 
• Sidewalk usage

Classifications of e-bikes/scooters

• What are the state laws?
• Which bikes/scooters are suited for kids?
• What is age appropriate?
• Which bikes are street legal?

Safety concerns 

• Helmets and other equipment
• Battery safety
• Illegal modifications

Wednesday, Oct. 15

6:30-8 pm

Includes a public Q&A and feedback session at the end

Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex

29 Park Avenue

Highlander Room (1st floor, off main loby)