The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 AM at City Council Chambers (1300 Perdido Street), and the current, not-yet-finalized agenda includes a presentation from the New Orleans Health Department on e-bike safety, along with updates from RIDE, RTA, the Ground Transportation Bureau, and a tentative update from Amtrak on the one-year anniversary of the Mardi Gras Service.
We want you to be part of the conversation.
E-bike use and accessibility continue to grow in New Orleans, which means more people are getting around our city by e-bike. That’s a good thing. E-bikes can make it easier for people to get to work, school, appointments, and community events, and they can open up bicycling to people who might otherwise have difficulty riding a traditional bicycle.
At the same time, we’re seeing growing concern about serious injuries and fatal crashes involving e-bikes and other electric-powered devices.
We believe both things can be true.
We need a thoughtful, multi-pronged approach to safety that doesn’t simply lump every electric-powered two-wheeler into the same category. There are important differences between a Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3 e-bike and a higher-powered e-moto (a term that is becoming the norm in bike advocacy circles as of late); and those differences matter when we’re talking about safety, education, enforcement, and regulation.
The League of American Bicyclists recently highlighted this very issue in its webinar, “E-Bikes, E-Motos, Oh My: Navigating New Devices and Laws for E-Bikes.” Their discussion with advocates from several states emphasized the need for clearer definitions, better communication, and thoughtful engagement among legislators, transportation agencies, law enforcement, health professionals, and the bicycling community. Click here for webinar recap and recording.
So here’s our ask:
If you’re available Thursday morning, please come to the Transportation Committee meeting and make a public comment.
You don’t have to be an expert. We want you to share your experience.
Maybe you regularly use an e-bike and want to talk about how it has benefited your life.
Maybe you’re a parent who has questions about young people and e-bikes.
Maybe you’ve seen behavior in your neighborhood that concerns you.
Maybe you’re excited about the possibilities e-bikes offer but think the rules need to be clearer.
All of those perspectives belong in this conversation.
In person comments are limited to 2 minutes so make sure to keep it to the point.
If you can’t attend in person, you can also submit a written comment through the City Council’s meeting page: Transportation Committee Meeting – August 27
Please note that Public Comment submissions usually won’t open till the day before the meeting and usually are only allowed till 8:00 am on the day of the meeting (I do not make the rules). These comments become part of the public record, although we want to be transparent that online comments are not always read aloud: particularly if a meeting runs long.
What does Bike Easy want to see?
We believe the goal should be safer streets for everyone: not more regulation for regulation’s sake.
That means working together to:
- Clearly distinguish legal Class 1, 2, and 3 e-bikes from higher-powered e-motos and other motorized vehicles.
- Make the rules around speed, age, helmets, trail access, and equipment easier to understand.
- Address unsafe operation, excessive speed, and illegal modifications.
- Give law enforcement and city agencies better tools for identifying different types of electric vehicles.
- Improve crash data so we understand what kinds of devices are actually involved in serious crashes.
- Invest in education alongside enforcement.
- Continue building safer streets and infrastructure for everyone, regardless of how they get around.
We don’t believe this conversation has to be polarized.
There are communities around the country working through these same questions, and there are models we can learn from. The League’s recent webinar highlighted both the challenges and the importance of engaging stakeholders early and often when developing policy.
As an organization, Bike Easy is open and willing to continue working with City agencies, health professionals, law enforcement, riders, and community members to find practical strategies that make our streets safer for everyone.
Want to learn more about e-bikes?
We’ve put together resources to help:
Bike Easy: Understanding E-Bikes
A quick introduction to the different types of e-bikes and what riders should know.
Read Bike Easy’s Quick Tips: Understanding E-Bikes
League of American Bicyclists: E-Bikes, E-Motos, Oh My
A recap of the League’s August 11 webinar examining emerging e-bike and e-moto policies around the country.
Read the League’s Webinar Recap
Bike Law Louisiana: A Comprehensive Guide to E-Bikes in Louisiana: Laws, tips, and choosing the best e-bike
A Louisiana-specific resource covering e-bike classifications, state laws, safety considerations, and what to know when choosing an e-bike. The guide also helps explain why not every electric-powered bike-like vehicle necessarily qualifies as an e-bike under Louisiana law.
Read Bike Law Louisiana’s E-Bike Guide
And we’re putting education into practice.
Later this month, Bike Easy is partnering with BlueKrewe to offer our new Smart E-Biking Workshop, designed to help e-bike riders: and people interested in riding e-bikes; understand what e-bikes are (and aren’t), how to ride safely and courteously, and how state and local laws apply. The September 26 in-person workshop will include a presentation, Q&A, an opportunity to ride a Class 1 e-bike, and the option to earn the League of American Bicyclists’ “E-Bike Smart” Certificate. This class will cap at 15 people so make sure to register.
Learn more and register for the Smart E-Biking Workshop
Finally, help us keep doing this work.
Bike Easy is a small nonprofit, and our members are the biggest source of our political and financial support. Our August Keep Bike Easy Rolling campaign is focused on building a stronger base of Sustaining Members so we have dependable monthly support for advocacy, education, and community work like this.
If you believe in having an organization at the table advocating for easy, safe, and fun bicycling for everyone in Greater New Orleans, please consider becoming a Sustaining Member today.
Let’s show up Thursday, share our experiences, listen to one another, and help shape what safer e-biking looks like in New Orleans.
In Service,
{{broadcaster.name}}
Executive Director at Bike Easy