Many bicycling concerns are local – such as road conditions, trails, and intersections – but most regulations are set at the state level. MassBike works to track and support these policies to improve safety across communities, and though only state legislators and the governor can make laws, cities and towns can also adopt local ordinances to manage their own communities. This interaction between state law and local rules sometimes comes to a head when there’s not a clear course for local officials to deal with challenges in their communities.

One of these challenges is the proliferation of faster e-bikes, scooters, and electric micromobility devices. These are being used in transportation systems that were not designed for them, especially in such numbers. But traffic, bikes, e-bikes, or any other form of micromobility are not unique to an individual town. They are market trends, consumer demands, and most importantly, a mode shift to get people around with driving a car. So MassBike’s work is crucial to help facilitate this shift, and to encourage more users to hop on these e-bikes and micromobility devices, as long as they do so safely and in conjunction with sensible regulations and travel allowances.

Class 3 e-bikes (which go up to 28 mph) are still in a legal grey area, as when the legislature created a definition of e-bikes it only included the slower speed Class-1 and Class-2. Which is why the Legislature collaborated with the Healey-Driscoll Administration to convene a Special Commission on Micromobility in 2024. The Micromobility Commission published their findings in a report in January of this year with classification recommendations.  

• Here the abridged version of the report: Small Wheels Big Potential
• Here's the full report:  Special Commission on Micromobily Report
• And here's a webinar from March with WalkMass and MassDOT on this report: Micromobility Commission Full Report Feb 2026

As the legislative process is lengthy and requires feedback from multiple agencies, some local groups have gotten anxious and are attempting to pass local ordinances, absent any clear action from legislators on Beacon Hill. Unfortunately, these ordinances are fragmented, not in-keeping with the broader micromobility recommendations, and may go against regulations already in place with the Dpt of Conservation and Recreation, or federal law.

MassBike is concerned about the proliferation of these proposed ordinances, especially the lack of coordination with the Micromobility Commission recommendations, and encourages you as residents of your city and town to be aware when these proposals come up. We need you to be direct in responding to your elected officials that a local municipality should not be implementing regulations without guidance, isolated from a broader statewide effort.

Click here for a template that you can use to contact your municipal government about this issue.

Some ordinances propose creating a local registration system for e-bikes, forcing everyone with an e-bike to register with town police. Although the specifics are currently unclear, this system will bring additional fees structures and administrative burden. This is not recommended by the RMV and has not been put in practice in any local city or town. A registration system would result in an administration burden for both riders and police departments. One example of an ordinance requires out-of-town visitors to register if they use the town roads more than 14 times, or they will be fined.

Other ordinances are attempting to block lower speed (Class-1) e-bikes from all rail trails and shared used paths. This would complicate enforcement, and prohibit safe users from accessing trails.

Rather than making convoluted hoops for new riders we should instead be focused on educating the public on what e-bike are and how to ride them safely in all public spaces. MassBike recently created a resource for guidance on how to communicate with new trail users through means of physical signage and digital campaigns: Trail Etiquette Toolkit

The majority of the incidents that make the rounds on social media and newspapers are on “e-motos;” a device class separate from e-bikes that can go speeds of 30 mph or more.  These electric motorcycles or electric mopeds are more powerful than a Class 3 e-bike, while not quite fast enough to qualify as a motorcycle. And to be clear, these e-moto riders do pose a significant danger when riding above the speed limit or recklessly on our trails. This is why the Micromobility Commission recommends separate classifications, and operational and travel allowances, and which calls for rider education along with RMV registration.

E-bikes represent access, affordability, mobility, exercise and recreation. They provide essential access for so many people in the commonwealth, especially low-income and folks with disabilities, allowing for more people to experience the joys and benefits of bicycling. Let’s be sure to regulate this new form of movement through a coordinated, comprehensive strategy that works for every rider and every city and town across the state.