Are E-bikes legal in DC, VA, MD?

[Caroline C]

Hi, we are going to visit DC area in near future and would like to know if we can ride our e-bikes (pedal assist) on the paved bike paths and roads with bike lanes ?
Thanks for any information. We live in Tennessee where e-bikes are legal on streets and also multi-use trails if max speed is 20mph.

Topic

[cvcalhoun]

@Birru 157926 wrote:

Agreed. I couldn’t give two s about the letter of the law regarding e-bikes as long as you’re riding considerately and safely. And don’t embarrass me too much on the hills, please.

I’m always happy to see it’s an ebike passing me on the hills. That way, I can tell myself it’s just an unfair advantage. Now, when all the other bikes pass me on the hills…

[baiskeli]

Nobody will notice. If someone does, they won’t care. If they do care, they won’t say so. If they do say so, they won’t call the cops. If they do call the cops, the cops will probably not know either. In other words, don’t spend any energy worrying about it.

[dhs1963]

@cvcalhoun 158060 wrote:

I’m always happy to see it’s an ebike passing me on the hills. That way, I can tell myself it’s just an unfair advantage. Now, when all the other bikes pass me on the hills…

If it is me on the bike, any advantage brought on by the electric assist is lost becuase of me.

[kwarkentien]

@dbb 157920 wrote:

To summarize – this topic seems to foster a degree of talmudic discussion. You will be fine if you follow the prime directive – “Don’t be a jerk.”

Getting in a reference to the Talmud on a bike forum and during Pesach to boot–awesome!!!!

[gibby]

Montgomery County Parks Rules & Regs, beginning July 1-
No person shall operate an unlicensed motorized scooter, motorized or electrically assisted bicycle, Electric Bicycle, segway, hover-board or similar motorized personal locomotive device except
(1) as authorized by Permit; or
(2) in areas where expressly designated by Park Directive and posted accordingly

(thanks washcycle)

[cvcalhoun]

@gibby 162133 wrote:

Montgomery County Parks Rules & Regs, beginning July 1-
No person shall operate an unlicensed motorized scooter, motorized or electrically assisted bicycle, Electric Bicycle, segway, hover-board or similar motorized personal locomotive device except
(1) as authorized by Permit; or
(2) in areas where expressly designated by Park Directive and posted accordingly

(thanks washcycle)

I would just note that this regulation is totally ridiculous, as it will actually restrict e-assist bicycles more than it restricts cars or motorcycles. A car or motorcycle can use anything designated as a “roadway or street for vehicular traffic.” But an e-assist bicycle would not be permitted to use a roadway or street within a park, unless expressly designated by Park Directive and posted accordingly.

http://www.montgomeryparks.org/about/rules-and-regulations/

My hope here is that they will issue appropriate Park Directives promptly. At that point, we’ll have to see where e-assist bicycles are and are not permitted to go.

Also, did you notice that, “Paved trails on Park Property remain open between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 12 midnight for transient Bicycle traffic only, unless posted otherwise.” This is an improvement on the old rules that allowed such traffic only between sunrise and sunset. But apparently I am a major scofflaw in regularly using the CCT after midnight.

[Author]

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