BOISE, Idaho — Boise city leaders approved an emergency ordinance creating new restrictions on electric motorcycles, or “e-motos,” after residents raised growing concerns about safety on streets, sidewalks and public pathways.
The Boise City Council voted unanimously Tuesday evening to approve the ordinance, which takes effect July 1.
“These are motorcycles and a 10-year-old probably shouldn’t be riding around on the street on a motorcycle — certainly not on the Greenbelt or the sidewalk,” Boise City Council member Jimmy Hallyburton said.
WATCH | Hear from Hallyburton and learn what this new ordinance means
Hallyburton said community complaints about dangerous riding behavior and injuries/fatalities in other states prompted the emergency action.
“People don’t even know what to call these things and they’re like have you seen these new things they’re like bikes, but way faster. They’re like mini motorcycles, they’re like we saw this kid almost get hit earlier today,” Hallyburton said, recounting conversations he's had with Boiseans.
The ordinance creates a new category called “E-moto,” which applies to two- or three-wheeled electric vehicles with motors larger than 750 watts or top speeds greater than 28 mph.
“E-motos, they’re not e-bikes they’re not bicycles. They are motorcycles and we define that by the size of their motor — over 750 watts — and their top speed — over 28 MPH,” Hallyburton said.
Under the ordinance, E-motos are prohibited on sidewalks, bike paths and city pathways, including the Boise Greenbelt. E-motos are only allowed on city trails specifically designated for motorcycles or motor vehicles.
The ordinance also requires E-motos to follow Idaho motor vehicle laws. Riders must have registration, licensing and insurance to legally operate them on public roads. Vehicles that cannot be legally registered under Idaho law are prohibited from operating on city streets.
“We want these kids to go out and have fun. We want them to be able to connect in their community. They can do that on bicycles, they can do that on e-bikes, they can do it on a variety of other scooters and you know those types of things, but these E-motos are different,” Hallyburton said.
The ordinance also narrows Boise’s definition of a legal e-bike. To qualify as an e-bike, a vehicle must have fully operable pedals, a motor rated at 750 watts or less and a maximum speed of 20 mph. The ordinance also requires motor assistance to stop when brakes are applied.
“This is advocacy as far as I'm concerned. We want to make sure that people are safe, we want to make sure that kids come home at the end of the day,” Hallyburton said.
City leaders said the ordinance was passed as emergency legislation — meaning the usual three separate readings process was waived — because of increasing safety concerns and rising use of high-powered electric vehicles during the summer months.
The city also has plans to form a task force to address broader e-bike use and regulations in the future.
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