Anyone Heard About A New Federal Regulation for Ebikes In the C&O Canal National Historic Park ??

[6zfshdb]

My ebike is quite stealthy so I occasionally sneak a ride on federal land where these bikes are banned. Last weekend, I encountered a fellow ebiker on the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland. She was riding a fat tire Radrover which was clearly an ebike. I asked her if she had ever been stopped by a park ranger. She told me there are new regulations in place which allow ebike use as long as the electric assist is turned off ?? She said she heard this from a friend who is a park ranger. It is supposedly a new reg and not in print yet. I did an extensive internet search and couldn't find anything specific on the subject. This new regulation doesn't permit ebike use but it sure makes it easy to violate.

I don't see a regulation like this as being enforceable. How would a ranger know if the electric assist is turned off or not. Unless you are cruising along using throttle only, I don't see any way to tell if someone is just ghost pedaling. There must be more to this regulation if it even exists.

I suspect this is all just BS but I'm posting this in case someone else has more information.

 

[J.R.]

My ebike is quite stealthy so I occasionally sneak a ride on federal land where these bikes are banned. Last weekend, I encountered a fellow ebiker on the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland. She was riding a fat tire Radrover which was clearly an ebike. I asked her if she had ever been stopped by a park ranger. She told me there are new regulations in place which allow ebike use as long as the electric assist is turned off ?? She said she heard this from a friend who is a park ranger. It is supposedly a new reg and not in print yet. I did an extensive internet search and couldn't find anything specific on the subject. This new regulation doesn't permit ebike use but it sure makes it easy to violate.

I don't see a regulation like this as being enforceable. How would a ranger know if the electric assist is turned off or not. Unless you are cruising along using throttle only, I don't see any way to tell if someone is just ghost pedaling. There must be more to this regulation if it even exists.

I suspect this is all just BS but I'm posting this in case someone else has more information.

For years that was the rule in Colorado for multi use paths. Ebikes were ok as long as the power was off. That changed about 2 years ago or so. It does seem silly and easily abused.

As I got really involved in the legality issues for ebikes, I've been amazed by the misconceptions of people on both sides of the issue. Even here on this forum. Laws and regulations are often hard to understand, even by the people charged with enforcement. Misconceptions are repeated so much that they often seem like fact.

I think if the regulations were changed for the C&O it would be big news on the many bike forums in Washington DC. The C&O is often a topic of discussion on those forums.

 

[Dewey]

Not heard of this but have heard the National Park Service are working on an ebike policy which will apply nationally. The NPS operate local trails in the DC area including C&O, CCT, Mt Vernon Trail, etc.

 

[Dewey]

And...https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1207/ebikepolicy.htm

Class 1-3, obey same trail speed limit as pedal bicycles, but no throttle riding

 

[slayer1962]

It seems odd right? You can have on pedal assist 5 but make sure you are pedaling lol
Is this just to eliminate not pedal e bikes? same thing here how much pedaling is pedaling? as long as you do not touch the throttle i guess you are ok?
Again a step in the right direction as long as we do not abuse it i think its great

 

[Dewey]

It seems odd right? You can have on pedal assist 5 but make sure you are pedaling lol
Is this just to eliminate not pedal e bikes? same thing here how much pedaling is pedaling? as long as you do not touch the throttle i guess you are ok?
Again a step in the right direction as long as we do not abuse it i think its great

Correct, however obey trail speed limits, so you're welcome to use PAS level 5 to climb that steep hill provided you maintain 15mph or whatever local speed limit, probably need to use your display to lower the speed limit so you don't have to stop pedalling.

I think the throttle ban is to prevent folks from thinking they can ride on NPS trails using high power kit ebikes, electric motorcycles, or de facto mopeds like the Juiced Scorpion or Super 73, it has the unintended consequence of inadvertently hurting Class 2 riders with cadence PAS who need to blip the throttle to get going from a stop, the wording doesn't say you can't ride a Class 2 just that you can't use the throttle.

The Class 3 permission was a (welcome) surprise, all the Class 3 urban commuters I know use top speed only when riding on roads but when near the city and they need to access safe infrastructure like bridge sidewalks they keep their speed down.

Currently the only folk opposing the rule change are the wilderness organizations and mtb crowd, but as this was an executive order it could just as easily be revoked under another administration so I would prefer People for Bikes reach out to negotiate some acceptable compromise with the haters that can be codified into state law as they seem to be succeeding with the 3-class ebike model legislation.

 

[JeffreyD]

My ebike is quite stealthy so I occasionally sneak a ride on federal land where these bikes are banned. Last weekend, I encountered a fellow ebiker on the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland. She was riding a fat tire Radrover which was clearly an ebike. I asked her if she had ever been stopped by a park ranger. She told me there are new regulations in place which allow ebike use as long as the electric assist is turned off ?? She said she heard this from a friend who is a park ranger. It is supposedly a new reg and not in print yet. I did an extensive internet search and couldn't find anything specific on the subject. This new regulation doesn't permit ebike use but it sure makes it easy to violate.

I don't see a regulation like this as being enforceable. How would a ranger know if the electric assist is turned off or not. Unless you are cruising along using throttle only, I don't see any way to tell if someone is just ghost pedaling. There must be more to this regulation if it even exists.

I suspect this is all just BS but I'm posting this in case someone else has more information.

National Parks Service announced August 30, 2019 new e-bike policy ... Secretary Order 3376 ... expand recreational opportunities and accessibility.”Create a clear and consistent policy on all federal lands managed by the Department”.

 

[J.R.]

NPS web sites have been updated to include ebikes.

C&O

Hiking and Biking - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

Harper's Ferry

Record of Determination for allowing e-bikes within Harpers Ferry National Historical Park - Harpers Ferry National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)

www.nps.gov

 

[Dewey]

NPS web sites have been updated to include ebikes.

Welcome progress. The wording in the Record of Determination for the C&O Canal Park Path is a little confusing as it might be misinterpreted: the Superintendent's Compendium states "E-bikes are permitted where bicycles are permitted"..."Except as specified in this Compendium, the use of an e-bike within Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park is governed by State law, which is adopted and made a part of the Compendium. Any violation of State law adopted by this paragraph is prohibited." Currently ebikes are not permitted on bike paths or trails in the District of Columbia, or neighboring Montgomery County, MD, except a small number of hard surface trails under that County's e-bike and scooter pilot program. But the key wording in the document appears to be "Except as specified in this Compendium..." and the regulation in the compendium states "E-bikes are allowed" in the Park, so the rule applies throughout the park.

A particularly welcome development is the wording "Trail areas where the e-bikes are allowed include the Towpath, Berma Road, and the Capital Crescent Trail" (CCT). The Canal towpath is narrow with a mixed surface, mostly gravel, except short sections in Georgetown, DC, where it might alternatively be brick or asphalt. A trail guide recommends using the parallel section of the Capital Crescent Trail for the first three miles "there is a 40-50 foot elevation differential and forest growth between the trails. The towpath and CCT trail meet at Fletcher's Boathouse (mile 3.1)" and that would be the point at which to transition onto the C&O Canal towpath heading West, or onto the CCT heading East into DC. Owing to the parallel CCT trail this first 3 mile stretch is the busiest section of the C&O Canal park. The remainder of the Capital Crescent Trail from where it crosses the canal leaving the C&O National Historic Park and proceeding North through Palisades, DC, into Montgomery County, MD, remains off limits to ebikes at the present time.

 

[JeffreyD]

My ebike is quite stealthy so I occasionally sneak a ride on federal land where these bikes are banned. Last weekend, I encountered a fellow ebiker on the C&O Canal Trail in Maryland. She was riding a fat tire Radrover which was clearly an ebike. I asked her if she had ever been stopped by a park ranger. She told me there are new regulations in place which allow ebike use as long as the electric assist is turned off ?? She said she heard this from a friend who is a park ranger. It is supposedly a new reg and not in print yet. I did an extensive internet search and couldn't find anything specific on the subject. This new regulation doesn't permit ebike use but it sure makes it easy to violate.

I don't see a regulation like this as being enforceable. How would a ranger know if the electric assist is turned off or not. Unless you are cruising along using throttle only, I don't see any way to tell if someone is just ghost pedaling. There must be more to this regulation if it even exists.

I suspect this is all just BS but I'm posting this in case someone else has more information.

There are lots of federal and state and local rules about the use of E-bikes and if you own and operate an e-bike it’s best you educate yourself before you break one of the rules because like any other law they are enforceable. The National Park Service announced a new policy for electric bike use in National Parks Aug. 30, 2019 but the exact rules were to be determined by each park. Generally, the rules established limit use to Class 1 e-bikes. All this stuff is very complicated and confusing and most people do not even know there are different classes of e-bikes or that hybrids ... upgraded conventional bikes ... have no class. Turning off the battery is worth a try but doubt authorities will buy it. Buyer beware because bike shop employees are schooled in not knowing or giving straight answers on the topic of laws and rules applicable to E-bikes.

 

[PennyWV]

I ride my power assist trike on the c&o in MD and WV without issue. It is class 2. The only signs posted on the trail restrict motorcycles. I’ve been riding that trail fo 20 years and have never seen park service police on the trail. It is a pretty remote area though. I sometimes think people dont think of recumbent trikes as being ebikes.