Can you ride e-bikes and scooters in bike lanes in Raleigh? Here’s the law.
Offering a bit of motorized assistance for pedaling — uphill or otherwise — electric bikes, also called e-bikes, have risen in popularity during the pandemic.
In fact, E-bikes accounted for about 15% of the cycling market in 2019, The Washington Post has reported. A report by Statista estimates that e-bikes generated about $27 billion in global sales in 2021, and sales are estimated to grow to about $54 billion by 2027.
With all of this new interest in e-bikes, chances are that you’ve taken one for a spin, or maybe you’re planning to do so in the future.
But when you’re out cycling on an e-bike, are you following the local rules and laws for the bikes? Are you allowed to ride them in the bike lane or on greenways?
To help you understand where e-bikes are and aren’t allowed in one Triangle city, we took a closer look at local laws in Raleigh. We’ve also included information about electric scooters.
Here’s what to know when riding an e-bike or electric scooter in the city of Raleigh.
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How are electric bikes defined in Raleigh ordinances?
The Raleigh municipal codes and ordinances include electric bikes under the city’s definition of “bicycle.”
That definition says, within the city, a bicycle is classified as either:
▪ A non-motorized vehicle with two or three wheels tandem, a steering handle, one or two saddle seats and pedals that propel the vehicle.
▪ Bicycles “with helper motors rated less than one brake horsepower which produces an ordinary pedaling speed up to a maximum of twenty miles per hour.”
Rob Murray, transportation communications analyst with the city of Raleigh, told The News & Observer via email that these definitions are consistent with the definitions listed in state law.
State law defines “electric assisted bicycles” as “a bicycle with two or three wheels that is equipped with a seat or saddle for use by the rider, fully operable pedals for human propulsion, and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts, whose maximum speed on a level surface when powered solely by such a motor is no greater than 20 miles per hour.”
While electric bikes have motors, they are not considered motor vehicles in Raleigh — a key distinction since it’s illegal for “any person to drive, park, stop or stand any motor vehicle in any bike lane” in the city. This is also the same as state law, which “specifically excludes Electric Assist bicycles as a motor vehicle,” Murray said.
Are e-bikes allowed in bike lanes in Raleigh?
Because e-bikes are included in the city’s definition of “bicycle,” the same rules that apply to regular, non-motorized bikes in Raleigh also apply to electric bikes, including rules about where bicycles are allowed to drive.
That means, just like regular bicycles, e-bikes are allowed in these places around the city:
- Bike lanes
- Shared streets (where bikes share the road with motor vehicles)
- Greenways and multi-use paths
While operating in these spaces, e-bikes must obey posted speed limits where applicable. That’s especially important on the city’s greenways, where the speed limits — 10 mph — are likely lower than the top speeds e-bikes are able to reach when being assisted by the motor.
Keep in mind: City codes say “bicyclists using sidewalks, greenways or multi-use paths shall comply with all traffic regulations posted along the facility and shall stop or otherwise yield the right-of-way before entering or crossing a public street.”
Are motorized scooters allowed in Raleigh bike lanes? On greenways?
So, if e-bikes are allowed in Raleigh bike lanes, what about the popular motorized scooters?
The answer is yes, motorized scooters are allowed in bike lanes, as well as on shared streets, in the city of Raleigh — but there is a key difference between where e-bikes and motorized scooters are allowed: Motorized scooters are not allowed on the city’s greenways.
That’s largely because of how motorized scooters are defined in city and state codes, as well as the speeds the scooters can reach, Murray with the city told The N&O.
▪ Under state law, the definition of “motor vehicle” is “every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle designed to run upon the highways which is pulled by a self-propelled vehicle.” The definition goes on to say that the term does not include mopeds or e-bikes, but no other exceptions are given — meaning that scooters are considered motor vehicles.
▪ The same is true in Raleigh’s city codes, with the code saying “a motorized scooter is a type of motor vehicle.”
While Raleigh’s codes say motor vehicles are not allowed in bike lanes, there is a specific exception for motorized scooters, meaning they are allowed in those spaces, as well as on shared streets.
▪ But the codes say motorized scooters are not allowed on “sidewalks, greenways or multi-use paths.”
“Motorized vehicles are not permitted on our greenway system primarily because motorized vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists are not a good mix of uses especially on a path that is 10 feet wide,” Murray told The N&O. “Motorized vehicles have the ability to go higher speeds that are not safe for the mix use of this space.”
As with bikes, you should keep in mind that operators of motorized scooters must “stop or otherwise yield the right-of-way before entering or crossing a public street.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2022 at 2:20 PM.
