Massachusetts Lawmakers Look to Put Brakes on E-Bikes

(TNS) — E-bikes are leaving bicycle path users shouting e-nuff!

The Joint Committee on Transportation addressed the menace head-on Thursday in a bill filed by Gov. Maura Healey that would require an annual registration, liability insurance, and an official Massachusetts license plate for high-speed motorized bicycles.

That includes certain e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds, while also banning the popular products from bike lanes and walking and biking paths.

The bill, called An Act to Enhance the Safe Use of Micromobility Devices (S. 3077), was filed by Healey on May 4 and also sets a new regulatory framework for lower speed e-bikes, requiring those riders to follow bike lane and other restrictions and making helmets mandatory for riders 16 and under.

“We want to keep everyone safe, support innovation and affordability, and protect riders who simply are trying to earn a living and support their family. And we think we can accomplish all of that by working together,” Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll told the committee.

While the current legal definition of a motorized bicycle includes bicycles powered not only by electric battery, but also gas-powered engines, the bill seeks to define and tier the micromobility vehicles by speed capability, with Tier 3 devices being required to obtain a state registration, license and insurance. Tier 3 devices would also be banned from bike lanes and walking and biking paths.

The legislation defines Tier 3 devices as those capable of speeds of 41 miles per hour or more. A Tier 2 device is defined as those capable of speeds of 31-to-40 miles per hour, with Tier 2 encompassing devices capable of traveling at speeds between 21-to-30 miles per hour, and with Tier 0 devices defined as those capable of traveling up to 20 miles per hour.

The bill separately restricts Speed Tier 2 and Speed Tier 3 devices. Tier 0 and Tier 1 devices remain tied to bicycle and electric-bicycle access rules.

“The central concept in this bill is a shift towards a speed-based framework,” Interim Transportation Secretary and MassDOT General Manager Phil Eng explained.

Lowest speed devices, 20 miles and under, are going to be treated like bicycles. And while highest speed devices receive stronger safety and operational requirements such as registration and insurance,” he said.

But Healey’s bill dives even deeper into the pockets of Tier 3 device owners, even requiring them to acquire and pay for liability insurance. The owners will be required to present a certificate with proof of insurance in order to obtain a Massachusetts registration for the so-called “micromobility devices.”

The bill would also require anyone under the age of 16 to wear a helmet while operating or as a passenger on any e-bike. It would also require anyone, including adults, operating or riding as a passenger on any Tier 1-3 e-bike to wear a helmet.

If passed and signed into law, the legislation would take effect on Jan. 1, 2028.

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