Should electric bikes and perhaps electric scooters be allowed on the carriage roads at Acadia National Park?/Rebecca Latson file
A story caught my eye the other day. It centered on electric bikes, and where they can roam in the National Park System. The story centered around Acadia National Park in Maine and raised the prospect that e-bikes might one day be allowed to travel the park's iconic carriage roads. Is that a good idea?
For now, the park is blocking the motorized bikes from heading down the carriage roads, which are restricting to muscle-powered cyclists, hikers, and equestrian travelers. But the AP story adds that "new rules are expected in the coming weeks."
“I’m hoping that they’re going to come to reality,” said one of the cyclists interviewed by the AP. “This will get more popular as time goes on.”
Well, there are a lot of popular things out there, but do they all deserve access in the parks? Remember Segways? What about those electric scooters that are all the rage in metropolitan areas? Will they be next to seek access to trails and areas normally off-limits to motorized vehicles?
In Canada, a pilot program is under way to test e-bikes on trails in Jasper National Park.
"There's a lot of places in the national park that are accessible by bike but maybe not to the entire general public due to limitations on fitness, etc.," Marc Vien, sales manager at Jasper Source for Sports, told CBC News. "But those e-bikes allow people to get to those places easily."
Tell us, travelers, how much access in the National Park System should electric bikes have?
Comments
Please, no e-bikes on national park trails. People seek out these locations for the traqulity and as an escspe from the trappings of our modern society. E-bikes have there place, but definitely not on national park trails. Thank you.
As a disabled person with limited leg strength, I use an electric scooter to go to museums, take classes, go to botanical gardens and city parks. Having an electric bike, I would love the opportunity to enjoy nature trails specific to e bikes. Obviously not all trails are smooth enough, but it would enhance my enjoyment of life to get out in nature, and isn't that the point of National parks. Obviously, I would still be somewhat limited, but hey, the parks are meant for all to enjoy. At least the e bike is quiet and non polluting, a lot nicer than snowmobiles that are allowed currently.
I am seventy, and suffer from arthritis. These days I need the help my ebike gives me to go up hills.
There are 3 levels of e-bikes: from having a small assist to bikes that are essentially scooters, that need no pedaling. Most trails are allowing types 1 & 2 on trails, but not 3, the scooter type that can go at higher speeds for a long time. Don't Van All e-bikes from trails, but do limit the speeds they can go. Most of us travel at the same speed as a regular bike, and use assist on hills. Thank you. Freda Tallmadge
We cruise the coast every summer and love coming to Acadia to enjoy the carriage trails and to hike. We have owned fold-up marine bikes for years. We first started with Dahon fold-up bikes that could easily be stored on our boat. We would take them on dingy to shore and quickly unfold them to get to stores and to go into Acadia National Park. As we aged we found it more difficult to get to the park on bikes from our boat. So in 2014 we gave up the regular pedal bikes and purchased pedal assist fold-up bikes. These bikes have a very small motor. There is also a 3-speed manual shifter just like a regular bike to help with various terrains. The only difference between an ebike and a regular bike is as you pedal you get assistance from a small electric motor. The motor is located in the rear or front hub or located in the crank mechanism called a mid-drive. We have used our ebikes extensively throughout the carriage trail system and really help in getting up some of the most challenging hills. We have found that having an e-bike we can bike longer and go further. These bikes though they do have small motors they are rated as class II vehicles and are governed to go no faster than 20mph In order to reach this speed, however, you have to pedal vigorously. These are not motor scooters or mopeds. There is no throttle and there is no more noise than a regular bike. In all the years we have been going into the Park we have followed all the rules as any other cyclists and there has never been an issue or a problem. In fact, because you can go further with these bikes you actually get more exercise! These bikes pose no more threat to the Parks than do regular bikes, hikers or horses. They do however enable more people to go out and enjoy Acadia. I understand that there is a slippery slope factor where people and officials of the park fear that if you allow ebikes then eventually other motorized vehicles will have to be allowed. I don't think we need to fear this. These are bikes that you still need to pedal! They make no noise. They don't pollute and they have governors on them so the speed these bikes can attain is no faster than a regular bike. In fact, regular bikes because of their lightweight frames can exceed speeds of 35 miles per/hr. going downhill and on the flats Ebikes on the flats cannot reach these speeds due to being usually 2 to 3 times heavier. It is time to lift the ban on ebikes and electric wheel chairs in Acadia!
i think ebike should be allowed. Ebikes are only assist in peddling and do not provide power on their own. ebikes are also very quiet. Ebike are also geat in allowing people who would normally not bike due to age or physical limitations to bike and get exercise.
In our local community it is now allowed to use "Pedal Assist" e bikes. I believe it would be fine to allow that type of e bike in Natl Parks. It would allow people to enjoy biking and have to do some pedaling . Unlike just hitting a switch and go. I do think there should be some restrictions mainly with speed. Some of us as we age or have some other physical issue that prevents us from exerting energy to completely travel by bike the way we once could Would have the assistance of electric power to help.
electric bikes may ease car congestion on crowded paved NP roads such as the loop roads but would be a nuisance where there are buses provided in NPs. They should absolutely not be allowed where hikers or cyclists can go off of paved roads such as the carriage roads In Acadia. That would change everything and be devastating.