Toronto, Canada — Electric bikes are at the centre of a bylaw controversy in Toronto. E-bikes are becoming more numerous on the roads, and that is posing some problems.
Toronto’s public works committee is being asked to close a loophole that allows electric bikes on sidewalks, after having received complaints.
The co-chair of the pedestrian committee, Dylan Reid, says the e-bikes have smaller wheels than regular bikes, and that lets them get around a bylaw intended for children that allows bicycles with less than a 24-inch wheel on sidewalks.
“So what we’re asking for is the city to simply clarify the situation and say that anything electrically powered or motorized can’t travel on the sidewalks,” said Reid.
Pedestrian complaints aren’t all, though.
Yvonne Bambrick of the Toronto Cyclists Union wants the city to go further and ban e-bikes from bike lanes and paths. “I believe that any type of motorized vehicle whether it’s an electric motor or a gas motor belongs with other motorized vehicles in the main part of our streets,” she said.
At the root of the cyclists’ concern is Ontario’s new Road Safety Act. According to the law, e-bikes are allowed everywhere that regular bikes can go — bike lanes, bike trails, even bike stands and lockers.
Bambrick says she’s not against e-bikes, it’s just a matter of safety.
E-bike riders protest that e-bikes are here to stay, so just get used to them.
July 14th, 2009 at 5:59 am
I will state emphatically that bicycles of all kinds with the exception of children’s bikes should not be ridden on sidewalks. This is, in fact, the law in many states. “Children’s bike” is not ambiguous. If there is a small person riding a small bike, often with two small wheels in the back, it is most likely a child riding a children’s bike. DUH! On the other hand, Ms. Bambridge is very vocal about usurping the rights of other taxpayers for her personal use. She feels that bike lanes are not meant to be shared with other people who are often older than she is and have been fighting for the same rights and privileges for which they have been paying taxes far longer than she. It is somewhat gratifying to know that the residents of most of the other provinces, including B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia do not think as she does and mandate that bike lanes must be shared between the riders of conventional bikes and ebikes.
James Wood
Veloteq
July 14th, 2009 at 6:35 am
According to the TCU, there concern is that the downtown paths are already too congested and not paths to allow for another slow moving transportation option. Most paths and bike lanes across Ontario are drastically underused. To wish for a provincial ban as a result of “downtown congestion” on a few routes is very “Torontocentric”. People who wish ride an electric bike instead of their car for all their short commuting needs, should not be concerned with a downtown Toronto congestion issue. Why it was a pilot program in Ontario to begin with is as concerning as their consideration of banning or licencing an e-bike that is capable of a maximum speed of 32 km per hour. Our kids can ride past us on their pedal bike doing 40km per hour and up, without a helmet and wave to their parents who not only must wear a helmet by law, but be insured and licenced? The governments lack of concern for this sustainable and attractive alternative is alarming when BC embraced the same product 6 years ago. One of the complaints brought about by the TCU that e-bikes are “too quiet”. Perhaps the TCU should lobby for a helmet law for all, and ban ipods.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Just wanted to make it very clear to the readers of this blog that the Toronto Cyclists Union is most definitely not in favour of banning e-bikes from anywhere. We appreciate this new type of vehicle and recognize that it allows greater mobility for people with mobility issues, and is an excellent alternative to cars.
We do however take issue with Scooter-style ‘e-bikes’ – these are not bicycles and should never have been included in the Provincial level redefinition of ‘Bicycle’. Electric assist bicycles are one thing, these can actually be pedaled. We have heard directly from scooter-style e-bike retailers that their customers are not interested in pedaling, and even that the cosmetic pedals included on the vehicles (so that they meet the ‘requirements’) are a hazard. Many of these scooter-style e-bike owners have removed the pedals for this reason. Once you remove active pedaling, you no longer have a bicycle. Scooter-style e-bikers want all the advantages of a motorized scooter, but none of the ‘hassles’ that come with traditional gas powered motorized scooters – namely: licensing & insurance.
Scooter-style ‘e-bikes’ are motorized vehicles and should be subject to the rules governing such vehicles – period. It should make no difference if that power is electric or gas.
July 16th, 2009 at 5:24 am
Hi, interesting topic – I have just bought an electric bike that I use to get to work everyday. I Just plug in at work to recharge it and then cycle home.
Absolutely love the bike, it was cheap and simple to use. I got it from http://www.elecbikeco.com they seemed good but I am sure there are many other companies out there too.
Good luck
Ahmet
July 17th, 2009 at 8:05 am
My goodness the TCU sure has alot to say considering how long they have been around. I am guessing that most of the members are much younger than most of the e-bikers out there and full of vim and vinegar. I am guessing that we have bicycled longer than most members have been alive. Not having to pedal 18 km to work is a major bonus and my other choice would be my truck. No other cycling union has objected like the TCU and they seem to be reluctant to change. Ohter provinces do not seem to be subject to this negativity but then again the TCU is only in Toronto. I don’t call mine a bicycle, it is an e-bike. Every few days in the paper I read about another bicycle accident with serious injuries. This no helmet law for riders over 18, their zig zagging in and out of traffic, their complete disregard for the law should be addressed well before worrying about an e-bike with plastic. Who cares whether you are pedalling or not when you are going the same speed. E-bikes of all kinds have been nothing short of a success across Canada and in Europe for over 6 years now. This attitude that because a 24 year old is pedalling that everyone should is narrow minded and without vision. Change was needed, choices are available. The TCU would love for us to pay a licence and insurance to travel 30 km per hour while they whip passed us doing 40 and up and without a helmet. It is a 500 watt motor. Your hair dryer is 1500 watts.
July 17th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Hi Ahmet
…interesting, the link you posted is for a dealer in London UK. So you are in London? I hear ebike and scooter sales have taken off in London since Red Ken brought in his Congestion charge.
I see your dealer only offers five models, four open-frame “classic” pedal bike styles plus one “scooter-style”? I’ll guess that with the EU 250W power limit that the open-frame (lighter weight) ebikes are more prevalent around London eh?
Watt your’re reading here is a local issue where ebikes are new-ish to Toronto and Ontario. Only legalized in the last three years. We are so far behind the EU and still very much a car culture.
Canada and Ontario went with an ebike definition providing 500W max (HA, eat your heart out! (grin)- although the USA went with a 750W max!), but this has made the “scooter-style” heavier ebikes more practical and unfortunately this is what Canadians and Toronto folks have been seeing mostly being sold here. There are lots of open-frame ebikes also, but people here don’t “see” these!
At the same time Toronto is blessed with a small hard-core contingent of pedal bike riders who have fought long and hard for bicycle rights including separate bike lanes on our orban streets. 98% of our city roads still do not have bike lanes… (And even the lanes we do have are a poor excuse compared to the wonderful bike infrastructure seen around the EU)
Anyway, the vocal hard-core folks have been complaining about the “scooter-style” ebikes showing up in “their” bike lanes… They are intimidated more by these little vehicles than all the SUVs and minivans that infest our roads.
As with any innovation there will always be those with vested interest and myopic perspective.
Thanks for your positive thoughts about ebikes!
loCk
Toronto
July 17th, 2009 at 10:24 am
Travelling at a top speed of 32 km per hour these bikes do not belong in mainstream traffic. I probably average around 19 km per hour on my travels. This downtown congestion problem is not a concern to those living across Ontario. The underused bike lanes in my area and other areas around Ontario are at the expense of the tax payers, and can accomodate thousands of e-bikers of all styles. This downtown Torontocentric attitude is narrow minded and self serving. The TCU does not want them in the bike lanes and they are too slow for mainstream traffic. If licenced and insured like a moped (mopeds go fast) this product would no longer be a viable sustainable alternative. I understand that the TCU is protective of the word “bicycle” and I have no problem as well not calling it a bicycle. It is an e-bike. A scooter style e-bike that has lived in harmony on the roads with cars and bicycles for years across Canada. My son can go much faster on his pedal bike without a required helmet. The scooter style has a comfortable seat and alot of safety features bicycles do not have. They attract a segment of the population that would not ride a bicycle anyway, but instead their car for short commutes. The TCU wants people to think about alternatives but only theirs. I have put over 6000 km on my e-bike in the last two and a half years. I obey stop signs and traffic lights because to get going again I just throttle. They are quiet and in my opionion probably the best transortation option since the bicycle itself. Cars, Microwave Ovens, Fax Machines and Internet were all considered passing fads as well. You don’t have to be Nostradamus to see that this is part of our future.
July 17th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
I do not own a bicycle or an e-bike but find it amusing that the Toronto Cycling Union is so against e-bikes in the bike lanes. How about limiting the speed of bicycles to 20 km per hour, and enforcing licences and insurance to those that wish to go faster. Helmets for all riders regardless of age and tougher laws. Cycling accidents are a daily occurance. Insurance for all. They want to use the roads (NO SIDEWALKS) let them pay for the upkeep.
July 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Did Heather Bambrick proofread her posting here? She contradicts herself.
1.”…the Toronto Cyclists Union is most definitely not in favour of banning e-bikes from anywhere…”
2. “We do however take issue with Scooter-style ‘e-bikes’…”
Of course e-bikes are not bicycles, any more than roller-bladers or skateboarders are “pedestrians.” E-bikes are a newer type of conveyance, invented 150 years after the bicycle. They are the next generation, and here to stay.
What sane people are suggesting is, because e-bikes are legally limited to lower speeds, they should be regulated *in the same category as* bicycles, not *as bicycles*.
As for her statement “‘e-bikes’ are motorized vehicles and should be subject to the rules governing such vehicles – period.” She glosses over the fact that under the laws of Ontario bicycles are vehicles also, but her organization constantly lobbies against more stringent enforcement of the existing vehicle regulations such as wrong-way riding, stop signs, head and tail lights and speed limits on recreational paths.
The TCU website says quite clearly “The Toronto Cyclists Union does not however agree that tickets should be issued for ‘bicycle equipment offences’ (747 tickets)” and the TCU blames cyclists getting tickets on “bogus tickets issued by some undertrained officers…”
For someone who talks so much she sure doesn’t say a lot. So why does anyone listen to her?
July 18th, 2009 at 4:07 am
There are many different styles of ebikes to attract a larger market which is the goal. Not everybody can or wants to pedal. E-bikes are capable of going only 32 km per hour which is slower than some cyclists. Learn to share the roads and paths. The people wishing to ride a scooter style bike are the 50 up market. I think they have pedaled enough in their lifetime to enjoy a good coast to work. The TCU should hire somebody older and wiser to understand instead of someone young enough and healthy enough pedals to work and back and think everyone should. They are bikes Yvonne. Bi – means TWO We are quite aware they are not bicycles they are classified under power assisted bicycle with added rules and regulations,like helmet laws and age restriction.
July 18th, 2009 at 7:49 am
That’s right, Yvonne doesn’t want them banned.. she just wants them to go faster and be in with traffic. They are called motorcyles Yvonne and they already exist. E-bike owners have no interest in motorcycling, they just want to coast to work at a safe speed without arriving to work all hot and sweaty.
All provinces have allowed both styles of e-bikes without complaints from cycling unions. The TCU’s should be ashamed of itself for having this opinion on an issue of this magnitude, for the future of alternative transportation options in Ontario. The Federal Definiton allowed scooter style (without pedaling) and it is now up to each province to go along or not. If Ontario listens to Yvonne we will be the laughing stock of Canada. If e-bikes are licenced and insured, then bicycles should be as well. They are capable of much faster speeds, and 18 year olds and up do not require a helmets? Licence and Insure all two wheeled bikes that are capable of speeds greater than 32 km per hour.
July 18th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Love my scooter style bike. Had it for 2 years and it replaces my car for all my shorter commuting needs. The plastic fairings only add to my visibility on the road, and is the housing for my headlights, brakelights and turn signals.
I really do not see why they should be licenced when my speed is governed at 32 maximum. My kids laugh because they can go faster than me on their bicycles. My kids like to borrow my car alot because we live in a hilly area. My bike is great on the hills and I prefer it to my car. Ontario, listen to the rest of Canada, not some cyling union that is self serving. I am 48 years old and I am in better shape than most cyclist I have seen. My exercise is done at a health club. My bike is my transportation.
July 18th, 2009 at 10:17 am
YVONNE WROTE “Just wanted to make it very clear to the readers of this blog that the Toronto Cyclists Union is most definitely not in favour of banning e-bikes from anywhere”
Just bike lanes and paths,LOL Thanks for giving us permission to drive them in the middle of the road. Oh wait, no they are not fast enough, and not allowed. Gimme a break Yvonne! It is an e-bike with plastic and it maxes out at 30 km per hour just like one with no plastic. Mine only can get up to 28km per hour on level ground, on a good day. Sorry I don’t pedal. I wasn’t doing much pedaling in my car either. Back in your cars folks, Yvonne said so.
July 19th, 2009 at 9:33 am
YVONNE WROTE: We have heard directly from scooter-style e-bike retailers that their customers are not interested in pedaling, and even that the cosmetic pedals included on the vehicles.
The federal definition of ebike include “Power Assist” and “Power on Demand” that requires NO PEDALING. The pedals are functional and are used for very steep hills, so not exactly cosmetic. 5000 ebikers will be back in their cars for all their short commuting needs if you get your way.
July 20th, 2009 at 10:34 am
The TCU’s standpoint on this is clearly ridiculous and spewed from a purely elitist perspective. My suggestion would be to write everything you’ve written here to the T.O. City Council. Unfortunately, whether or not these are allowed in certain places is going to come down to who has the loudest voice. Or in the case of Bambrick, most obnoxious and persistent. I can just see it now: The first ebike rider killed while riding next to a bike lane, while traffic whizzes past and then takes him out. Legislation says the ebikes can’t go faster than 32 km/hr and legislation, if the TCU has its way, says it can’t ride anywhere safely either. I smell a major lawsuit. I’m not even in T.O., but I’m sick and tired of close-minded lobbyists like Bambrick and her precious TCU who refuse to accept that there might be other alternatives to getting around. The only reason they even get any attention in this matter is organization. Get organized and get the media attention……good luck.
July 20th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Good suggestion made by Ryan. We have to speak out. Contact your MP and anyone else that will listen. Yvonne is misusing her position at the TCU for her own self serving ideals. Presently 2% of commuters ride a bicycle to work, hardly enough to demand more paths from taxpayers, when 98% of the bike paths across Ontario are drastically underused. Her downtown Torontocentric Attitude contradicts the beliefs of the rest of Canada, in regards to e-bikes of all styles. Transport Canada completed a study back in 2001 and deemed both power assisted bicycles and power on demand bikes safe. The rest of Canada agreed with the Federal Definition except for the TCU winding up the MTO with false information and red herrings.No other cycling unions objected to e-bikes across Canada like the TCU is doing. Their members claim they are afraid of e-bikes, when it is just Yvonne winding up her younger members. If not for bike paths and bike lanes, where else can you ride a slow moving bike? Yvonne rides a bike dressed up with plastic flowers and objects to people who dress up their bike to look like a scooter with headlights and turnsignals and brakelights.
August 2nd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
First off I think Yvonne has never been on an ebike. Well at least not long enough to see the benefits. No ebike riders are indeed NOT interested in pedalling. But not because we’re lazy as some people have implied. I commute 16km to work on scooter style ebike. So that’s 32KM per day round trip. Takes me about 45 minutes each way with many hills. I tried the same thing on my regular bike. I was very sweaty less than half way to work because of all the hills.
My average speed on my ebike is 25kph. I often get passed by regular cyclists on the bike lanes. So the arguement that ebikes are too fast for the bike lanes is really silly to me. Because of my slow speed I stay in the bike lane where I feel safe. Expect for a few strange bumps and potholes in the lanes, lol, if you ride down Royal York you know what I’m talking about. Strangely enough eventhough there’s bike lanes on Royal York Rd. I still see many people on the sidewalks riding. If it’s kids I can understand but the problem is most of the people I see are the spandex crowd. I also recently saw an ebike on the sidewalk too. BIKES NO MATTER WHAT KIND ARE NOT ALLOWED ON THE SIDEWALK! If you must go on the sidewalk walk your bike like I do until it’s safe to ride on the road again. I was hit by a cyclist on the sidewalk when I was a child. So I know first hand how it feels.
As for ebikes on recreational trails I’m devided. I myself ride a normal bike on trails. However I do understand that not everyone is as capable as me. So I do feel that we should make an exception for those people.
Lastly I think we can all agree on this one. Toronto needs more bike lanes!
September 18th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
I have a bike and a scooter style ebike for transport to work and back. Each day I ride to work I see that the bike lanes are almost empty. If there are cyclists in it, I never try to past them except in car lanes. Yvon and the TCU wants to ban these bikes off the bike lanes by assuming that all ebikers are dangerous for some reasons or another. The irony is every day I see regular bikers ride on sidewalks or cross the street on a red light or not bothering to stop at all. Why don’t the TCU focus their energy on educating bikers to ride safely rather than discriminate against other law abiding citizens? If my scooter style ebike has to be licensed then I move to have ALL bikes licensed and everyone must wear a helmet. If we are forced to get insurance to ride a bike that go max 32km (mostly averaging 20km) then back to the car I go. Would Yvon and TCU rather have more smog and congestion?
November 12th, 2009 at 8:53 am
i am an owner of a scooter style E-bike. i am from North Bay. it is catching on here just like your city of Toronto. the idea is to help save gas and ride to work in a more green way. the decision made to rule an E-bike in the same catagory as regular bike was a good decision. drivers on the streets no matter what your driving are required to share the road. not one type of means of travel controls the road. as for the side walk issues, yes i am sure that bikes are to ride the road, but when the traffic is up, the sdiewalk in some cases is safer. this too applies to E-bikes. sometimes the drivers on the road do not respect others that well and that forces you up on the sidewalk. this just means that as a person on a bike your now sharing the sidwalk and need to use more caution not to hit someone walking. Same as driving on the road but in reverse, now you don’t want to be hit.
As for other saftey factors, in all the years i have lived, there never has been a safer ride. it is equiped with a horn, signals, and lights. anyone who follows can see when your breaking or turning. i find that people on the E-bike show more respect than those just riding regular bikes. people need to adapt and change. having an E-bike allows me to travel to more places than i would want to go driving my car. i enjoy the weather more. i’ll take it to work because i will not work up a sweat riding a bike or need to change. i conserve gas and the use of my car when i just need to pick something up at the store, or want to meet someone, go to a show. we live in an ever changing world. one that demands us to be more environmently friendly. maybe you need to buy yourself one of these E-bikes and use it to understand what your fighting. then you might change your mind and see your doing the worng thing at trying to limit where E-bikes can drive. people who ride 10 speeds can and do ride faster than someone on an E-bike. no one challanges how fast they can go. your only challange here is because there is an electric motor to assist in having the ride. so it only cost about 25 cents per 100 Km of driving. try to do that with your car. i actually charge my E-bike using a hybrid wind / solar array. my cost to drive now become 0$ for unlimited Km’s. the trails and paths keep us safe and out of traffic. there are speed regulations on those routes too. at least on an E-bike we can see how fast we are driving, unlike a 10 speed.
it’s all about how careful and ones driving habits. for those who need the tickets, then give them to them. do not group everyone in the same bucket just because they drive an E-bike. there are bad drivers in all means of transportation. everyone who has a poor driving habit one day will get their ticket. people who drive the E-bike are trying to save our planet. driving an E-bike is not for exercise, it is to save gas and and reduce polution.
December 9th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Thanks for the name calling and ageism – much appreciated, really.
Wanted to let you know a bit more about where my position on scooter-style e-bikes comes from. While I realise it is not popular in this forum, my position is a reflection of the opinions that were expressed in the survey we conducted.
Here are the results of the survey we put online to collect people’s opinions of scooter style e-bikes. Feedback was contributed by both bike union members, and non-members – evenly split.
https://bikeunion.to/news/2009/06/15/scooter-style-e-bike-survey-results-are
“Over a 10 day period, 555 Torontonians completed our very simple opinion survey regarding the somewhat controvertial scooter style e-bikes that have recently been added to the provincial definition of ‘bicycle’ via the broad definition of ‘power-assisted bicycle’
Survey results can be viewed by following this link.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/sr.aspx?sm=xr1FClvlCQMd3KwuMFxzJBws0jdbdgp2M...
In short…the survey results show that the bike union’s position is indeed a reflection of the opinion of the majority of respondents.
87.3% of respondents feel that this type of vehicle is not a bicycle
88.3% of respondents feel that this is a motor-vehicle
63.8% of respondents feel that these vehicles should not be used in on-street bike lanes
78.4% of respondents feel that these vehicles should not be used on off-road bike/multi-user paths
Additionally, there was a wide variety of open ended answers that can be viewed via the link.”
We support and understand the tremendous value that electric assist bicycles have for seniors, and those with longer commutes or mobility issues. E-bikes are also an excellent alternative to the automobile. However, we do not believe that ’scooter-style’ e-bikes should ever have been classified as bicycles, and belong instead in the motor vehicles category. The maximum speed could simply have been capped at a higher mhp to better allow these vehicles to keep up with the rest of the motorized traffic.
December 29th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Open frame and scooter style e-bikes are popular because no licence and no insurance is required, just like a bicycle. They are an economical and efficient alternative to both public transport and automobiles. To increase their maximum speed to keep up with mainstream traffic would require licence and insurance and would no longer be economical or viable for most people. Yvonnes position on scooter style e-bikes was very clear, long before the “survey” was ever posted. Fortunately, logic prevailed on this matter and their classification as a “power assisted bicycle” or “e-bike” is more accurate than putting it under the motor vehicle classification as a result of their “bicycle like” speed. Questions like “does this look like a bicycle” on the survey with a picture of the largest most bulkiest scooter style they could find was rediculous right from the start. It would be like asking 555 motorists if helmets should be mandatory for cyclists. These results from the survey on a cycling forum was a joke.
March 17th, 2010 at 5:03 am
This topic was very informative and well written. I plan to do some more research on this. Thanks for sharing this timely information. We need more like this.
August 16th, 2010 at 12:32 pm
The survey is a joke. The only thing that proves is that most Torontonians aren’t educated yet about ebikes.
August 24th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Did that just say the survey was done by 50 percent union members and 50 percent non members? Would it be safe to say that maybe the members all answered the same? Then really only half of the survey would be even considered the “typical” opinion. Someone better at math could calculate it out but I think the revised percentages (Taking the members out) would be something like
74.6% of respondents feel that this type of vehicle is not a bicycle
76.6% of respondents feel that this is a motor-vehicle
27.6% of respondents feel that these vehicles should not be used in on-street bike lanes
56.8% of respondents feel that these vehicles should not be used on off-road bike/multi-user paths