Suburbs Grapple With E-Bike Concerns Amid Serious Crashes

On National Night Out, the top concern Brooklyn Park Police Chief Mark Bruley heard from residents was the dangerous behavior of people riding e-bikes and other micromobility vehicles.

“It was the No. 1 complaint that I received at every party I went to, was about regulating and what we’re going to do,” he said at an Aug. 24 city council meeting.

The police department has received numerous complaints that riders are traveling too fast, disobeying traffic laws and narrowly avoiding crashes on city trails. 

The city council asked the police to address the potential for regulating e-bikes and other two-wheel electric machines after several serious crashes, including one that killed a 9-year-old boy riding an e-scooter. 

“We are seeing these increased crashes throughout the entire country,” said Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Matt Rabe.

In one recent example, a 6-year-old girl was killed in Brooklyn Center in a minibike crash with a vehicle.

Tough to Regulate

Micromobility vehicles such as e-bikes come in a variety of configurations, making them difficult to regulate.

There’s a patchwork of state laws regulating them. In some cases they dictate a minimum age for users, a maximum speed, or a requirement for safety equipment.

Violation of these laws is typically a petty misdemeanor. As a result, Brooklyn Park police officials say officers cannot seize an e-bike without other cause.

There’s also little opportunity or interest in punishing a child that is illegally riding an e-vehicle. Children under the age of 13 cannot be criminally prosecuted in Minnesota. 

“The truth is, there’s very little enforcement to be done,” Bruley said. “We have our hands tied and it’s not a great look [if] we have our cops out there stopping kids on e-bikes looking for registration, looking for how old they are, looking if they have a helmet.”

Bruley suggested that the council consider making violations of e-bike laws a misdemeanor by ordinance, giving police the ability to seize bikes from illegal riders.

Maple Grove’s New Policy

Maple Grove recently enacted a new policy related to e-bike safety and law enforcement procedures.

The Maple Grove City Council amended the city code on Aug. 17 to allow for more robust enforcement.

Under the amended code, a rider that has violated the law would be issued a warning. If they violate the law twice in a 12-month period, they can then be issued an administrative citation. 

If the rider is a juvenile, the citation can be given to a parent or guardian.

Likewise, under the new policy, police are allowed to impound micromobility vehicles when they are operated in violation of the law or create an immediate public safety risk. 

To get a vehicle out of impound, the owner would need to pay towing, storage and administrative fees. 

Mayor Mark Steffenson and Council Member Kristy Janigo both said they hope the state enacts new regulations for e-bike and related transportation equipment in the future.

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