Rising popularity of electric bikes and scooters raises concerns about sharing the road – The Omaha News

By: Rhett Uleman

Under the backdrop of rising fuel prices, an alternative form of transportation is gaining popularity. Electric bikes and scooters are being utilized by downtown commuters and suburban students alike for cheap and reliable transportation. But the “e-moto” boom, as some analysts are calling it, comes paired with concerns about infrastructural shortfalls that can put riders at risk when sharing the road with cars. 

Riders like Kieren Langer, who works at “The Bike Way” bicycle shop, cites recent trail closings and say there aren’t enough bike lanes 

“The thing is in Omaha is that we have very little biking infrastructure, it makes getting around on a bike impossible. It’s not easy,” Langer said. 

According to the Nebraska Safety Council, Electric bikes can be ridden at speeds up to 25 miles per hour, which can make them unfit for pedestrian sidewalks, but their sleek, low visibility means they’re often unsafe on the streets, too.  

Law enforcement officials like Deputy Joseph Martinec say incidents involving E-bikes and scooters have become an everyday occurrence, especially with younger riders. “The biggest safety issue that we are seeing is that the younger riders don’t know the rules of the road or don’t think that the rules of the road apply to them,” Martinec said.  

However, more experienced riders and sustainable transportation advocates like Julie Harris point to a larger issue: dated city infrastructure. 

“Our bicycle infrastructure was best practiced 20 years ago, and a lot has changed, and we just haven’t been able to keep up,” Harris said.  

Harris is the executive director of bike walk Nebraska, a leading nonprofit focused on building accessible communities for walkers and cyclists. Efforts led by Bike Walk Nebraska, MAPA and the Papio NRD aim to pass new policies that push for more consistency surrounding how personal electric vehicles are regulated across state ordinances. 

Although state laws and affordable price points make owning a personal electric vehicle relatively easy, Omaha’s physical infrastructure is still playing catch-up, as the increased demand for improvement becomes harder to ignore.