“We can put all the laws in the world, but why can’t I get adults to follow the rules?” Gillian said during the Thursday City Council meeting, in comments that touched on dogs on the beach, the use of cabanas outpacing beach umbrellas and the operation of e-bikes.
Gillian and Council member Tony Polcini mentioned plans to meet with Assemblyman Antwan McClellan, R-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, to discuss potential statewide changes in rules governing e-bikes.
There are differing categories for electric bikes, in some ways dependent on the top speeds and whether the rider can accelerate with a throttle, but most of the e-bikes on the market are treated the same as bicycles under state law.
Gillian said he had been in contact with Gov. Phil Murphy’s office and was assured the governor was looking closely at the matter. This is Murphy’s last year in office.
He added that state Sen. Michael Testa and McClellan were both working on possible changes to state law on e-bikes.
McClellan confirmed Saturday a plan to meet with Ocean City officials on the topic on Monday, but he did not offer any details on what changes were in the works. Fellow Republican state representatives in Atlantic County say their constituents want tougher regulations on e-bikes, especially when operated by juveniles.
State Sen. Vince Polistina, Assemblyman Don Guardian and Assemblywoman Claire Swift, all R-Atlantic, said in late July they are working on a bill requiring operators, whose e-bikes are currently regulated as traditional bicycles, to take safety courses required of more motorized vehicles, like cars.
A 20-year-old Linwood man was arrested Wednesday after he allegedly eluded police while riding an electric bike two months ago on New Road, police said.
“After some initial research, it was clear that New Jersey does not offer proper safety instruction for these young riders,” Polistina said.
The use, and misuse, of the battery-assisted bikes has been an issue in Ocean City and other communities for years. Regionally, concerns over the safe operation of the vehicles deepened with the death of a 14-year-old boy from Egg Harbor Township, who was struck by a car while riding an e-bike on the Somers Point bike path in July.
More than a week later, a 17-year-old boy on an e-bike was hit by a Cadillac Escalade on Route 40 in Hamilton Township. He was not wearing a helmet and was injured in the crash.
Polcini said he is glad that it looks likely something will be done.
“I don’t think there’s much of a difference between an e-bike and a moped,” he said. “If you’re under the age, get a license if you want to ride an e-bike.”
Last week, Gillian brought up the matter as part of his weekly message to residents, mentioning a close call he experienced while driving, when young e-bike riders ran a red light in front of him.
“I was lucky I wasn’t on my phone,” Gillian said. He added that police plan to step up enforcement and will be making presentations to students as school gets back in session.
At the meeting, a resident chastised Gillian for waiting until he had a personal experience with reckless e-bike riders before taking action. She said people have asked for city action for years.
Gillian responded that he has been working on the matter for years but saw his close call as a good illustration of why action needed to be taken.
In separate comments at the meeting, Gillian expressed frustration with how this and other matters are discussed. He said everyone believed themselves to be experts and wants the city to make any changes they request immediately.
“It sickens me that we’re doing that,” he said.
With e-bikes, the placement of beach cabanas or people allowing their dogs to run on the beach, Gillian decried a lack of compromise and civility.
“If you expect the police to fix every single problem that we have here in Ocean City, it’s just not going to get done,” he said.
The city had previously considered banning e-bikes from the Boardwalk but backed off in the face of complaints from some riders. Gillian said he sees too many people, especially young people, riding too quickly, not wearing helmets and ignoring basic traffic rules like stop signs and red lights.
He said parents complain when police stop their children on e-bikes. Instead, he called for parents to be more involved and to go over the rules before giving a minor an e-bike.
“You wouldn’t give somebody an airplane without teaching them. You wouldn’t give them a car without teaching them. It comes with education,” he said.
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