E-bike use on the Long Beach boardwalk can now result in a $500 fine or jail time
If you ride an e-bike or e-scooter in the Long Island city of Long Beach, don't take it on the boardwalk or you could face a hefty fine.
Violators can face fines up to a $500 or up to 15 days in jail.
"What we've been seeing, and we've been receiving numerous complaints of people riding erratically with e-bikes, with motorized bicycles on the boardwalk," Long Beach Police Acting Commissioner Richard DePalma said.
With that, DePalma says the city council voted to update the law already in place banning motorized bicycles to include e-bikes.
Traditional bicycles are still allowed on the boardwalk and should be operated in the designated lane for cyclists, but signs are already up warning beachgoers of the e-bike ban.
"It's all about safety"
On a beautiful day the boardwalk is busy, but the message seems to have been received as there were no e-bikes to be seen on Wednesday.
"It's all about safety," one resident said.
"I love e-bikes. My husband rides one all the time, but I don't necessarily think there's a place for it on the boardwalk," said Judy Ward of Lynbrook.
"I walked the boardwalk here on Sunday and almost got hit by an e-bike," said Tobi Weinstein of Island Park.
Michael Hammer, the owner of Long Beach Bicycles, said he is on board with the change.
"Keeping e-bikes off the boardwalk, anything that's gonna go over 20 mph, with some weight behind it such as something like this, is dangerous," Hammer said.
The law change has been building for a while
Last year, a pedestrian was struck and killed by an e-bike at an intersection, adding to the argument from supporters. However, during Tuesday's council meeting, some residents raised concerns with the change.
"This is a free country, and I feel like we should be able to have e-bikes," one person said.
"We can eliminate the danger of speeding without eliminating the independence of our neighbors with disabilities," another said.
"Our officers are trained and any type of mobility device protected by the ADA we will not be enforcing," DePalma said.
The city's acting police commissioner said the first week or two will be about education and warnings, but after that, tickets will be written -- for sake of safety.
