Mecklenburg County Commissioners are considering how to manage fast-moving e-bikes on county greenways.
County commissioners and Parks and Recreation officials are looking at the impact of e-bikes and other electric vehicles zipping around on greenways.
Some towns like Huntersville and Davidson have recently adopted rules restricting vehicles that can travel faster than 20 miles per hour on sidewalks and greenways.
Mecklenburg County greenways currently have a 20-mile-per-hour speed limit. Parks and Recreation Director Nick Walker says the county’s focus is on improving safety through education, rather than relying on enforcement.
"The next phase will be to evaluate where we need to put other signage up," Walker said. "And then we paired the limit with signs, markings, and targeted education, not enforcement alone. We feel that an ounce of prevention will be a lot more valuable than a pound of cure.”
Walker says officials also want to reinforce safe greenway behavior through social media, bike shops, advocacy groups and schools. Walker also pointed out that many of the complaints the county receives are still about traditional cyclists on the greenways…not ebike riders.
