Kids on e-bikes slowed 45 mph roads — now Wake Forest police are stepping in
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- Police warn e-bike “street takeovers” may lead to arrest, citation or impoundment
- March 7 “ride out” slowed traffic on roads with 35–45 mph limits; no citations
- Town bans e-scooters/e-bikes on sidewalks; 10 mph speed limit on greenway
The Wake Forest Police Department is warning that those who take part in electric bike “street takeovers” may face criminal charges.
Prompted by an incident in the Heritage community, Wake Forest police issued a statement Tuesday urging parents to tell their children what could happen if they participate.
“Participants and parents of participants who participate in an electric bike street takeover anywhere in Wake Forest need to understand that they may be arrested, cited, and have their bike impounded if they violate Wake Forest Town ordinances or North Carolina traffic laws,” Police Chief Julius Jefferson said.
The incident took place mid-afternoon Saturday, March 7, town spokesperson Bill Crabtree told The News & Observer in an email Thursday.
The “street takeover” did not block traffic, he said.
Rather, it was a “ride out” where a large group of e-bikers — ranging from 11 years old to older teenagers — rode together down Heritage Lake and Rogers Roads, Crabtree wrote. Roughly 20 to 30 people slowed traffic on roads with speed limits of 35 mph and 45 mph. The e-bikers also took up both lanes of travel on some neighborhood roads.
No charges were filed or citations issued. Instead, the riders were “educated about traffic laws and ordinances.” Crabtree wrote Friday that “at a minimum,” the e-bikers were responsible for:
- Careless and reckless driving
- No insurance
- No motorcycle endorsement
- Failure to register motor vehicle
- Driving the wrong way down a road; driving left of center
- Riding on the sidewalk
- Riding an e-bike down a 35-mph road
- Misdemeanor speeding to elude arrest
Crabtree wrote that the March 7 ride out was the first one police had seen in Wake Forest, but the town had seen a rise in e-bike use in general.
“Treat the e-bike like a vehicle because that is what it is under state law,” Crabtree wrote. “You must follow all the normal rules of the road. There are no exceptions for e-bikes. To avoid slowing traffic down, ride your e-bike in single file on the [right] side of the road and obey all traffic laws and ordinances. “
In its statement, Wake Forest police wrote that those who join “such illegal events” may face charges such as:
- Blocking traffic and ignoring traffic signals.
- Blocking of intersections, riding against traffic flow, and fleeing from law enforcement.
- Operating unregistered or street-legal motorized bikes on public roads. Motorized vehicles that can exceed 20 mph are considered mopeds, while vehicles that exceed 30 mph are considered motorcycles.
Organizers and spectators may also be subject to charges, police said.
Wake Forest banned motorized scooters and e-bikes from sidewalks in an updated ordinance Jan. 20. The ordinance also imposed a 10 mph speed limit for motorized scooters and e-bikes on the greenway and required riders under the age of 16 to wear a helmet.
This story was originally published March 20, 2026 at 3:07 PM.
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