Extent of Regulations for E-bikes in Wisconsin Parks and Trails

Abstract

Use of electric bicycles, or e-bikes, has become increasingly popular over the past decade. The State of Wisconsin passed legislation in 2019 establishing e-bike classes and creating general guidelines for use in public spaces throughout the state. The goal of this study was to determine the extent to which Wisconsin communities are planning for and managing e-bikes in parks and on trails. We systematically reviewed Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans (CORPs), city ordinances, and websites associated with the forty-four premier member agencies of the Wisconsin Park and Recreation Association (WPRA). Within these agency resources, e-bike mentions were noted and categorized as “regulations” or “other mentions.” Fourteen agencies were found to mention e-bikes in their documents or on their websites; of those fourteen, ten were categorized as “regulations”. Three of those regulations deferred to the 2019 Wisconsin state statutes, while seven expanded on the state’s legislation. To supplement our systematic review, generative AI was used to conduct a search across the entire state. This effort yielded similar results. Overall, we found that few communities sampled are specifically addressing e-bike use in parks and on trails in their formal plans, rules, and communications. As e-bike technology and use continues to expand this subject should be revisited to see how communities are addressing this emerging topic