Metro Detroit grapples with rise of e-bikes and e-motos

Metro Detroit grapples with rise of e-bikes and e-motos

E-bikes and other micromobility devices are appearing across Metro Detroit's roads, sidewalks, trails and public spaces, from pedal-assisted bikes and scooters to high-powered vehicles often marketed as e-bikes.

Why it matters: Communities across the region are cracking down on vehicles that were much less common when many trails, greenways and public spaces were originally designed.

State of play: Michigan law recognizes three classes of e-bikes, but not every electric two-wheeler is considered one.

  • The result: Many residents who see an electric vehicle on a sidewalk, trail or bike path aren't sure whether it's allowed there.

    • What they're saying: "The vast majority of the mobility devices causing confusion are unclassified e-bikes or e-motos," Tim Novak, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources' state trails coordinator, told Axios in an email.

  • These are vehicles that may be marketed as e-bikes and look nearly identical, but exceed Michigan's limits for motor power or speed.

    • Data: State of Michigan, Axios research; Chart: Joe Guillen/Axios

    Zoom in: The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy says it has noticed a significant increase in e-bikes, scooters and similar vehicles along the Riverwalk and greenways.

  • The most common concern it hears isn't about a specific type of vehicle, but people traveling too fast through crowded areas.

    • "When the Riverwalk and Dequindre Cut first opened, there weren't e-bikes or motorized scooters like there are now," conservancy spokesperson Marc Pasco wrote in an email to Axios. "We all need to learn to co-exist."

    Friction point: Some bike advocates argue that speed — not motors — is the bigger issue.

  • Conflicts can arise whenever faster-moving users share space with slower pedestrians and cyclists, Todd Scott, executive director of the Detroit Greenways Coalition, told Axios.

    • What's next: Axios Detroit reporting will examine where conflicts involving these vehicles are emerging, how communities are responding and whether existing rules are keeping pace with the technology.

    Tell us: Have you ever seen an e-bike, scooter or e-moto and wondered whether it was allowed there?

  • Email detroit@axios.com with what you saw, where you saw it and why it caught your attention.