Ocean City's mayor calls for more e-bike safety

Mayor Jay Gillian says that a lot of drivers in Ocean City and throughout the state have had close calls with e-bike riders out on the road.

He’s one of them.

A few days ago, Gillian barely avoided hitting two young e-bikers who were riding on the wrong side of the road in Ocean City and flew through a red light into the path of his vehicle.

“Only the grace of God saved me from killing them. The near-miss has shaken me to my core,” Gillian recalled of the frightening incident.

Now, Gillian is urging Gov. Phil Murphy to collaborate with state legislators, local law enforcement agencies and municipalities to come up “with a solution” to improve e-bike safety.

“Ocean City Police Chief William Campbell and I would welcome the opportunity to participate in any discussion or contribute in any way toward solving this problem,” Gillian said in a July 29 letter to the governor.

Gillian recounted his own near-miss with the two young e-bikers as an example of the dangers of reckless riders out on the road.

“This is a situation that plays out daily throughout our state as more and more young and inexperienced riders obtain e-bikes,” he said in the letter.

He also noted the tragic death in July of a 14-year-old boy who was killed in a collision between his e-bike and a car in neighboring Somers Point.

    Mayor Jay Gillian, shown here during a City Council meeting, wants Gov. Phil Murphy to work with state lawmakers, local municipalities and police to improve e-bike safety.
  

In his letter, Gillian said that state laws currently allow certain e-bikes to be regulated in the same way as ordinary bicycles. He’s hoping the governor will consider amendments to the law to provide more protection to e-bike riders and the public.

“E-bikes are much faster and more powerful than bicycles, and the various classes are hard for law enforcement and parents to distinguish. Allowing young riders to continue to ride them will only end in more tragedy,” Gillian told the governor.

“Please work with legislators, local law enforcement agencies and municipalities to come up with a solution that preserves the use of e-bikes as an alternative to cars but protects the safety of our children,” he added.

Gillian said in a statement that he has been in contact with Murphy’s chief of staff, who assured him that the issue is being discussed and that the governor will keep him updated.

He also said that Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio, who also serves as mayor of Sea Isle City, will discuss the e-bike issue at his annual mayors’ meeting to see how towns can work together.

When they are riding on the road, e-bikers and the riders of regular bicycles are required to follow the same laws as motor vehicle traffic. Ocean City police have repeatedly warned e-bikers and bicyclists that they will be ticketed if they violate traffic laws.

Other communities have taken local steps to improve e-bike safety. Sea Isle City, for instance, approved a 10-mph speed limit for motorized bikes, scooters and skateboards on the popular Promenade in 2022 in hopes of preventing collisions with pedestrians.

Previously, the Promenade’s speed limit was 25 mph. The 10-mph speed limit was approved in response to complaints from local residents about e-bike riders, in particular, speeding along the 1.5-mile Promenade and nearly hitting children and other pedestrians.

    In 2022, Sea Isle City reduced the speed limit to 10 mph for e-bikes riding on the Promenade after complaints that riders were speeding.
  

Faced with mounting complaints about reckless and speeding e-bike riders, Gillian proposed an ordinance in 2023 to ban e-bikes from the Ocean City Boardwalk. However, City Council tabled the ordinance at that time for further discussion following concerns from the public that an outright e-bike ban on the Boardwalk would be too harsh.

Doug Bergen, Ocean City’s public information officer, said that Gillian recognizes that the e-bike issue has statewide implications broader than just the Boardwalk, which prompted the mayor’s letter to the governor.

“The issue is certainly bigger than just the Boardwalk, and local ordinances can’t supersede state law, which requires certain classes of e-bikes to be regulated just like bicycles That’s why he’s encouraging a partnership with the state, county and towns,” Bergen said of the mayor in an email Monday.

Alluding to Gillian’s near-accident, Bergen noted that “a lot of drivers throughout Ocean City and the entire state have experienced close calls with e-bikes, and there have been a growing number of accidents. I know he’s interested in looking forward to what can be done.”

Locally, the Ocean City Police Department plans to work with local schools this summer and fall on e-bike safety, Gillian said.

The department’s Community Oriented Policing unit will address e-bike safety during the Ocean City Intermediate School’s fourth-grade orientation on Aug. 25.

During the first week of school, officers will patrol the routes to the schools to make sure e-bike riders are complying with state laws that require them to wear helmets.

Also during the school year, police will attend grade-level assemblies and address topics including e-bike safety. In October, intermediate school students will attend a special presentation dedicated entirely to e-bike safety, Gillian said.

    E-bike riders are required to obey traffic safety laws, which include wearing a helmet.