Brian and I exhanged emails off-list, and then he agreed that it was worth sharing that exchange to the list. It’s copied below. chuck
From: Chuck Strawser Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 10:35 AM To: 'Brian Mink' Subject: RE: [Bikies] NYTimes/Gretchen Reynolds: The Surprising Health Benefits of an Electric Bike Brian, There are also already state rules in place that define “motor bicycles” as those going less than 20mph, and even those are not allowed to be used on bike paths *under power* (you can pedal them unassisted on paths). See state statute below, and also the useful page from the city’s website. So the trike that passed you at 35mph was already in violation of the rules, and does not meet the state definition of a “motor bicycle” (and is therefore not legal on streets, either). But like every other law, it’s meaningless unless it’s enforced. Look at the posted speed limits (for motor vehicles). How many people are ticketed for driving 40mph on the sections of University Ave that are signed 25mph? Since you replied to me only, I won’t post this on the list-serv without asking you. I think it’s relevant to the discussion, so you might consider posting it (and my response) yourself. State Statute 340.01(30) defines a “motor bicycle”: http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/340.pdf 340.01(30) "Motor bicycle" means any of the following: (a) A bicycle to which a power unit not an integral part of the vehicle has been added to permit the vehicle to travel at a speed of not more than 30 miles per hour with a 150-pound rider on a dry, level, hard surface with no wind and having a seat for the operator. (b) A 2-wheeled or 3-wheeled vehicle that has fully operative pedals for propulsion by human power and an electric motor of less than 750 watts and that is capable, when powered solely by the motor, of a maximum speed of less than 20 miles per hour with a 170-pound rider on a dry, level, hard surface with no wind. Here’s a useful page from the city’s website. Although this page makes no mention of bikes with something other than an electric motor, all the prohibitions on using an electric bicycle also apply to motor bicycles with gas engines. http://www.cityofmadison.com/trafficEngineering/documents/ElecBikeLawsWeb20130520v.pdf Chuck Strawser Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Planner Commuter Solutions UW-Madison Transportation Services Please note that my email address has changed. My new email is [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Visit our University Bicycle Resource Center at Helen C White: http://transportation.wisc.edu/transportation/bike_annex.aspx How are we doing? Take our customer satisfaction survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CommSol_CSSurvey From: Brian Mink [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 10:22 AM To: Chuck Strawser Subject: Re: [Bikies] NYTimes/Gretchen Reynolds: The Surprising Health Benefits of an Electric Bike Thanks Chuck. Many jurisdictions go beyond the simple rule that Madison has posted on bike trails by restricting maximum speed. Some of the electric hub motors are quite capable of reaching 35 miles per hour. I was passed by a high end trike last week that was probably doing 30 mph outfitted with the most powerful BionX hub motor. Madison's common courtesy and common sense "Yield to slower users" is a nice start but I think Madison will likely have to deal with an overall speed limit on bike trails, eventually. Brian Mink Chuck Strawser via Bikies<mailto:[email protected]> July 8, 2016 at 10:14 AM Brian Mink said: "I've noticed that most west coast cities that allow electric bikes do have rules that include behaving in regard to maximum speed, passing, remaining non aggressive and the like. Should Madison have such rules and post them? Probably." Madison already has rules, and does post them. They are on all the wayfinding signs along bike paths all around town, and among those rules is this one: "Faster {path] users yield to slower users" Which gets to the crux of the issue - how someone operates their vehicle is often as important (or more important) to the safety of others than exactly what kind of vehicle it is. Chuck Strawser Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Planner Commuter Solutions UW-Madison Transportation Services Please note that my email address has changed. My new email is [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> Visit our University Bicycle Resource Center at Helen C White: http://transportation.wisc.edu/transportation/bike_annex.aspx How are we doing? Take our customer satisfaction survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CommSol_CSSurvey From: Bikies [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Brian Mink via Bikies Sent: Friday, July 08, 2016 9:59 AM To: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> Cc: Scott Morris Rose; Bikies Subject: Re: [Bikies] NYTimes/Gretchen Reynolds: The Surprising Health Benefits of an Electric Bike I happen to know folks who due to one arthritic malady or less than optimal joint replacement surgery have opted for electric assist bikes or wheels with hub motors. I also have taken note of many more cyclists of larger habitus using electric assist bikes. Then there are a whole bunch or cargo/kid hauler electric assist bikes on trails around town. I think they are a good thing. Most of us able bodied, hard core enthusiasts will put off or scorn the thought of using electric assist. Let's assume that most folks who use electric assist do so based on some need that we probably don't know about. Many work places don't have showers. Electric assist one could image, can keep one below the gushing sweat threshold on the morning commute. I've noticed that most west coast cities that allow electric bikes do have rules that include behaving in regard to maximum speed, passing, remaining non aggressive and the like. Should Madison have such rules and post them? Probably. Bottom line is: even the heartiest of urban cyclists might age into the need for an electric assist bicycle at some point and then we'll look back on our years of scorn and finally come to the conclusion that we were not being understanding, nice or fair. Brian Mink Monona via Bikies<mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> July 8, 2016 at 9:45 AM If that what it takes to get these sedentary brutes onto a bike, then let them ride their electric bikes on roads and not on bike paths. .... Admittedly, my n is pretty small, but I resent these lazy assholes being on the bike paths. And it's bogus to say these are for sedentary folks. > By far, the most people who use them will be former bicyclists. I personally could not see myself wanting one. (Years ago I tried one when someone from MGE was demo-ing one at some event and I wasn't impressed.) But I also don't get all the hostility about them. I don't see how discourteous/unsafe passing is any more or less obnoxious by someone on an electric-assist bike than it is by someone on a traditional bike who thinks he's doing Tour de France. A moron on an electric-assist bike is not inherently worse or more dangerous than a moron in Spandex<tm>. As for the opinion that most people using them will be former bicyclists, so what? If it helps keep on a bike someone who has diminished physical capability, what's wrong with that? _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]><mailto:[email protected]> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org -- Sent from Postbox<https://www.postbox-inc.com/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=siglink&utm_campaign=reach><https://www.postbox-inc.com/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=siglink&utm_campaign=reach> _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org Brian Mink<mailto:[email protected]> July 8, 2016 at 9:58 AM I happen to know folks who due to one arthritic malady or less than optimal joint replacement surgery have opted for electric assist bikes or wheels with hub motors. I also have taken note of many more cyclists of larger habitus using electric assist bikes. Then there are a whole bunch or cargo/kid hauler electric assist bikes on trails around town. I think they are a good thing. Most of us able bodied, hard core enthusiasts will put off or scorn the thought of using electric assist. Let's assume that most folks who use electric assist do so based on some need that we probably don't know about. Many work places don't have showers. Electric assist one could image, can keep one below the gushing sweat threshold on the morning commute. I've noticed that most west coast cities that allow electric bikes do have rules that include behaving in regard to maximum speed, passing, remaining non aggressive and the like. Should Madison have such rules and post them? Probably. Bottom line is: even the heartiest of urban cyclists might age into the need for an electric assist bicycle at some point and then we'll look back on our years of scorn and finally come to the conclusion that we were not being understanding, nice or fair. Brian Mink Monona via Bikies<mailto:[email protected]> July 8, 2016 at 9:45 AM If that what it takes to get these sedentary brutes onto a bike, then let them ride their electric bikes on roads and not on bike paths. .... Admittedly, my n is pretty small, but I resent these lazy assholes being on the bike paths. And it's bogus to say these are for sedentary folks. > By far, the most people who use them will be former bicyclists. I personally could not see myself wanting one. (Years ago I tried one when someone from MGE was demo-ing one at some event and I wasn't impressed.) But I also don't get all the hostility about them. I don't see how discourteous/unsafe passing is any more or less obnoxious by someone on an electric-assist bike than it is by someone on a traditional bike who thinks he's doing Tour de France. A moron on an electric-assist bike is not inherently worse or more dangerous than a moron in Spandex<tm>. As for the opinion that most people using them will be former bicyclists, so what? If it helps keep on a bike someone who has diminished physical capability, what's wrong with that? _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org -- Sent from Postbox<https://www.postbox-inc.com/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=siglink&utm_campaign=reach>
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