Today we sent the following demand to Superintendent Craig Sap with a demand letter, over 1200 signatures on the petition and your petition comments along with current E-bike law and a letter from 29 e-bike product manufactures. Here is what our letter said. We will let you know the response. But first we have 1200 petition supporters but only 100 E-MTBA members. Don't stop now we are making progress. Please sign up for membership it only takes 30 seconds all we ask for is your name and email so we can keep you in the loop and stand up to be counted. Sign up at ElectricMountainBikeAssociation.org .Ok for those with time on their hands and like drama and want to read this latest letter. This is your voice and it is being heard. Here is the letter sent tonight to Mr. Sap Superintendent of Angeles District Parks and we copied local Senators and Assemble Members some of who are following this and the State Department of Parks, and the Angeles safety Superintendent, enjoy Hi Craig, I just wanted to bring you up to date. 1. The petition requesting that you rescind your Superintend order #915-17-002 banning low power assist E-bikes from Angeles District Parks bike trails and paths now has over 1200 signatures on it (see attached). We again respectfully reaffirm our request for you to rescind said order banning low power pedal assist E-bikes. 2. We are in the process of forming the Electric Mountain Bike Association. The following is our mission statement, ELECTRIC MOUNTAIN BIKE ASSOCIATION "Working with communities and public land managers to promote and protect your right to ride low power pedal assist E-bikes on environmentally sustainable bike trails and paths." With that said, I want to also point out at this time that the International Mountain Bike Association and other bike organizations do not speak for us, the Electric Mountain Bike community or our members. The Electric Mountain Bike Association is voicing our concern directly to you on this matter. I understand that there are different points of view on this subject among land managers and different user groups. Until now E-mountain bike owners have not been represented. Now that we are, I ask that you take our point of view as an additional a user group and stake holder into consideration. E-bikes are a new technology that are often times misunderstood. As such their benefit to the public and nominal impact on the environment is not universally recognized. Federal law HR 727 RH states: "SEC. 2. MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS. 2 For purposes of motor vehicle safety standards issued 3 and enforced pursuant to chapter 301 of title 49, United 4 States Code, a low-speed electric bicycle (as defined in section 5 38(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act) shall not 6 be considered a motor vehicle as defined by section 7 30102(6) of title 49, United States Code." State Law AB1096 also redefines low power electric bicycles as being Type 1 and Type 2 and not as motorized vehicles. It also allow type 1 and 2 on bike trails and paths unless certain trails are banned by local ordinance. Now you have banned all e-bikes including type 1 and 2 pedal assist from the Angeles District Park Trails and paths outside of the developed area. One of the problems with this order is that it is discriminatory. For example, If it's a bike path, and the only way to use it for it's publicly intended use for a disabled person is an electrical assisted bike, you are breaking the "full and equal enjoyment" part of the ADA. By your reckoning, I have to use a wheelchair if I want to enjoy the bike path, instead of on a bike like a healthy person would. There are other examples related to Age discrimination. Since this technology benefits the elderly to allow them the ability to ride a bike and you have banned these low power bikes and the elderly. Age is a protected class just like race. Another problem with this order is that, for reference to e-bike laws the language states that class 1 and 2 ebikes are only bicycles and can never be considered a motor vehicle. Yet you cite older laws banning motorized vehicles from adjoining jurisdictions. But clearly Class 1 and 2 E-bikes are no longer considered motorized vehicles under both new State and Federal law. The adjoining jurisdictions are flagrantly disregarding new current law relying on and citing older law in claiming that E-bikes are all motorized vehicles and therefor not permitted. I understand that you have concerns and you may not have been aware of this information when you signed the order banning E-bikes. I also understand that based on some of our back and forth over how an E-bike operates that you may not personally ride one which put you at a disadvantage in trying to make informed decisions on how to regulate them. But now with additional information you can reevaluate your decision and make it right and do the right thing before we take this up the chain of command and eventually the legislature if necessary. It is the peoples land not yours that you managing. All the people not just the current users. Below and attached are some additional resources that you can also consider. Please reconsider our request. Doing your own thing when you have a joint management agreement with your neighbors from the 1990s might seem out of step but actually it shows progressive leadership as you are work to address the changing needs of the public at the pleasure of you serve. As a stake holder we are not going away only getting stronger as our support swells and our membership grows. Your neighbors are out of step with progress relying on old laws and a joint management agreement from the 1990s. Be progressive and be a strong leader. Be a hero not a villain. Solve the problem instead of being in the middle of a growing controversy and standing in the way of progress. That is what we pay you for. Not to cave to the good old boy system of existing users and peers that are ignoring the new laws and the needs of the growing elderly population. I can provide additional resources upon your request. Here are some to consider, Please keep me informed of your thinking and your progress on this issue. I thank you for your time and help in this matter. Here is more information and resources for you to consider. There have been a number of reports that show that E-bikes don't do any more damage to the parks, wildlife and trails than normal bikes. Also, with regard to park speeds, normal bikes are actually more likely to go faster than they should then an e-bike. Speed is about the driver not the type of bike. On the trails I find myself going about the same speed as a normal bike rider except that normal bikes tend to go faster down hills as the drivers tend to be younger and more daring. But in general most trail users are courteous. Researchers who have compared riders of e-bikes and regular bikes at the University of Tennessee observed that e-bikes riders exhibit similar safety behavior as riders of traditional bicycles. Perhaps most importantly, e-bike riders traveled at similar speeds to riders of human-powered bicycles. They rode slightly faster when riding on the road (1.8 mph), but actually slower than regular bikes riders when on bicycle paths (1 mph). While all types of people purchase and use e-bikes, older, baby-boomer purchasers are the most common. Class 1 e-bikes have a motor that cuts off after the rider reaches 20 mph. This is not the average speed. • Studies show that e-bikes do not travel significantly faster than regular bicycles and in some instances, are slower, depending on the location and the rider • In general, on flat and uphill surfaces, e-bikes travel on average 2-3 mph faster than traditional bicycles. • E-bikes have to be labeled by their class, which helps enforcement officers. • No studies or instances have shown that e-bike ridership decreases public safety, and there are zero documented cases of e-bike crashes that have resulted in death or serious injury in the U.S. • As with any vehicle or consumer product, responsible use and riding rests on the user. If public safety is a concern, proper education and enforcement should be implemented. People who ride e-bikes are responsible riders • In 2016, e-bikes represented 1% of sales in the bicycle market. So far in 2017, e-bikes represent 7% of the market. • The typical rider is 45 – 65 years old and generally uninterested in reaching high speeds or passing other trail users without proper warning or slowing down. • E-bike users, like the majority of any user group, respect the law of the road and are kind to others with whom they share public resources. • Ridership and engagement is increasing, and people are using e-bikes to replace vehicle trips and augment existing bicycle trips. E-bikes are sustainable, convenient, and for everyone • Please ride one to understand e-bikes uses, limitations, and that they are not motorized vehicles in the same vein as gas-powered vehicles. They are emissions-free, low impact, and silent. • E-bikes decrease reliance on gasoline-motor vehicles and provide an affordable and competitive transportation option for people who can’t afford the high cost of car ownership. • E-bikes make riding a bicycle for fun, commuting, and transportation easier and faster, and allow current bicycle users to bike more often and farther. • E-bikes are a dependable option for people limited by fitness, age, or disability; and whose work commutes are within the 5-20 mile range and who traditionally drive. Which states have a three class e-bike system? Tennessee, Utah, Colorado, Illinois, Arkansas, and California. For example, Colorado State Parks allows eMTBs on all trails that are open to traditional bicycles because they have not provided increased management challenges to date. In Hood River, Oregon, the Hood River County Forest Recreation Trail Committee allows eMTB access to the Post Canyon trails within the Hood River County Tree Farm trail system, considering that eMTBs have no emissions, no noise, and a pedal assist that creates similar impacts to traditional mountain bikes. If you like I can arrange a demo for you. This might help you to with a hands on experience. CLASS 1 eMTBs CAN: » Allow increased access to the outdoors for riders or varying skill levels. » Help people of different skill levels ride together. » Address the challenges of local air quality, climate change, obesity, and lack of physical activity. » Allow people to bicycle when they would not otherwise due to physical fitness, age, disability, or inconvenience. » Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption, improve air quality, and support alternative modes of transportation. FOR PARKS, CLASS 1 eMTBs CAN: » Meet many stated park goals or mandates. » Bring innovation to a park’s fleet and support alternative modes of staff transportation. » Carry up to 400 lbs. of cargo and be equipped with builtin hauling features, specialty baskets, versatile racks, carrying bags, and other accessories to accomplish many maintenance and enforcement needs. » Provide a new option for staff who want to use a bicycle but would otherwise not because of physical limitations. ARE CLASS 1 eMTBs SAFE? » E-bikes offer the pleasure and freedom of bicycling with no known compromise in consumer safety. » The average Class 1 eMTB rider is no faster than the fastest mountain biker. » The maximum power of Class 1 eMTBs does not exceed the maximum power output of human capability. » E-bikes in fact increase road safety with more cyclists on the road and reduce demand for parking spaces.