{"id":213520,"date":"2026-06-08T09:13:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T09:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/213520\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T09:13:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T09:13:25","slug":"westfield-city-council-approves-first-reading-for-electric-bike-regs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/213520\/","title":{"rendered":"Westfield City Council approves first reading for electric bike regs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The ValleyBike station number 3 is at Westfield State University on Western Avenue, in front of the campus police.
Reminder Publishing photo by Amy Porter<\/p>\n

WESTFIELD \u2014 Legislative and Ordinance Committee Chair William Onyski brought a new ordinance to regulate electric bikes to the City Council on May 20.<\/p>\n

The ordinance passed the first reading after a vigorous discussion, with a second vote to be scheduled for the City Council meeting on June 19 after several suggested amendments are made.<\/p>\n

Onyski said the ordinance was developed in conjunction with Lt. John Parrish, chair of the Traffic Commission, and City Solicitor Shanna Reed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe need for this I think we could all understand,\u201d he said, adding that whenever he mentions to people that he is working on it, they tell him about close calls they have had with motorized bikes, which he said are an issue on the bike path as well. He said a lot of other towns in the state are adopting their own ordinances.<\/p>\n

The ordinance lists definitions for several categories of electric bikes, scooters, mopeds and skateboards. Class 1 are electric bicycles or tricycles with fully operational pedals and an electric motor of 750 watts or less, which provides power only when the rider is pedaling, but no power assistance above 20 mph.<\/p>\n

Class 2 electric bicycles provide power with or without pedaling, but no power assistance above 20 mph.<\/p>\n

Electric scooters are defined as scooters with handlebars, designed to be stood or sat upon by the operator, powered by an electric or gas-powered motor capable of propelling the device with or without human propulsion.<\/p>\n

Electric or motorized skateboards are devices with a deck, two or more wheels and an electric or gas motor designed for a person to stand or sit on while riding, as opposed to a regular skateboard propelled solely by human power.<\/p>\n

Mopeds, which are Class 3 bikes, have a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cubic centimeters; an automatic transmission and a maximum speed of no more than 30 miles per hour.<\/p>\n

Onyski said what is being proposed in the ordinance will allow a regular pedal bike on streets and on sidewalks, but not on sidewalks in business districts, including the Core district, Broad Street, Court Street, mixed residential and business districts or commercial office districts. \u201cThe reason for no bikes there is because there are businesses, doors are opening and people could speed by on bikes, and it causes a danger where we have a lot of pedestrian traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Class 1 bike, with a pedal assist, can be ridden on streets but not on any sidewalks in residential or business districts, Onyski said. It can be used on the bike path or rail trails, or on multi-use trails.<\/p>\n

Class 2 electric bikes can be ridden on streets, but not on any sidewalks in residential or business districts. They can be used on the bike trail, but you have to be pedaling. \u201cYou can\u2019t just use the throttle alone like you would a mini bike,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

A moped can be used in the streets if it has a compliance decal from the state. It can\u2019t be used on sidewalks or business sidewalks, and not on the rail trail.<\/p>\n

A regular human-powered scooter can\u2019t be used on streets, but can be used on sidewalks except in the business district, and can be used on the rail trail. Human-powered skateboards also can\u2019t be used on streets, but can be used on sidewalks except in the business district, and can be used on the rail trail.<\/p>\n

An electric or motorized scooter can be used on streets only if it\u2019s got a compliance sticker from the state, but cannot be used on sidewalks, business sidewalks, and they cannot be used on the rail trail. Electric skateboards also can\u2019t be used on streets, can\u2019t be used on sidewalks, can\u2019t be used on business sidewalks, and can\u2019t be used on the rail trail.<\/p>\n

When asked about the prohibition of electric or motorized scooters and skateboards on streets, sidewalks and on the rail trail, Parrish confirmed that both may only be used on private property, because they do not fall under Chapter 90 regulations.<\/p>\n

The non-criminal fines in the ordinance are $50 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense and $300 for the third and each subsequent offense. Parrish said according to state law, bicycles may be seized for up to 15 days if driven negligently, after which they will go back to the rightful owner.<\/p>\n

During the discussion at the City Council meeting before the first vote on the ordinance, Onyski said, \u201cNow on the rail trail, there\u2019s going to be a 15 mile-per-hour speed limit for any bike motorized or non-motorized. It wasn\u2019t meant for a race track; it\u2019s meant for people to recreate, walk. It\u2019s a recreational path; it\u2019s not a racetrack, so a 15 mile-an-hour speed limit will be set there, except for city vehicles being exempt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Councilor James Adams thanked Onyski for his work on the ordinance. \u201cYou need a law degree to figure this out. I mean, this is a nightmare not only for the citizens, it\u2019s a nightmare for the Police Department. I was on L&O when we first started this, so I think a lot of the issues we\u2019re having in town are with children and the parents buying these vehicles for their children that don\u2019t realize what they\u2019re doing with them. I\u2019ve seen several accidents already with these things, and I think that the most important thing, everybody had the issue with the rail trail,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only way to do it is the way they actually did it, because it\u2019s 15 mph, but also no throttle. So no matter what bike you have, you can\u2019t use a throttle.You have to pedal it and it has to be 15 miles an hour. So there is no other way that the police can actually regulate it, except for the way that Lt. Parrish and L&O did it. As far as everything else goes, I don\u2019t know how a regular police officer is going to figure this out, but we\u2019re going to do the best we can do, because people are getting hurt. Every day, there are people getting hurt,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cL&O has done a great job and I think the police have done as good a job as they can. We may have to tweak some of these, but we had to start somewhere. So kudos to L&O and the Police Department for coming up with a base that we can start with,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane also thanked Onyski, saying that they all know this is a big problem. \u201cIt\u2019s taking a long time to address it because it\u2019s so complicated,\u201d she said. However, she pointed out that one side of Court Street is a multi-use path, not a sidewalk, and questioned the validity of some of the prohibitions listed for Court Street.<\/p>\n

Onyski said the intent of the ordinance was to allow uses on the multi-use path on the other side of Court Street but not on the sidewalk side, and said he would straighten that point out before the second reading of the ordinance on June 19.<\/p>\n

Councilor Kristen Mello asked about streets that have no sidewalks. \u201cOn the street I grew up on and on the street where I live now, there are no sidewalks. And as written, it looks like walking to the corner store with a kid on a scooter is gonna be illegal. Can we fix that too?\u201d she asked, suggesting an allowance for kids on scooters or skateboards if no sidewalk is available.<\/p>\n

Councilor Cindy Harris continued the point. \u201cI think what Councilor Mello is saying, what you picture, and I see this downtown all the time because I\u2019m in that area, of a young mother with her two little kids, and this little kid is five years old and he\u2019s pedaling on his little scooter like this. And what you\u2019re saying is that they can\u2019t do that, and that\u2019s totally unreasonable,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Harris said the ordinance is for the older kids who are out of control. \u201cSo I don\u2019t think any police person\u2019s gonna come and arrest, you know, this little tiny 4-year-old,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

Onyski said they could maybe add that they can\u2019t be ridden on the street without a parent, agreeing that there are a lot of streets with no sidewalks.
Councilor Michael Burns said he had sat through a lot of meetings about the ordinance. \u201cI do have a problem with it, not the words in general, but specifically on the bike trail \u2026 They\u2019re just not going to be able to control that bike path. I\u2019ve been up there many times. It\u2019s widely used, and those things just fly around. I don\u2019t know personally, I don\u2019t know why anybody would be on a bike path on an electric bike going up and down the bike path. What fun is that,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cSo I guess I would like to make an amendment to not allow Class 2 bikes on there also.\u201d A motion was made on the amendment, which did not pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real intent was to deal with the nuisance and the safety aspect of the law,\u201d said Councilor Dan Allie. He said the ordinance keeps electric bikes off the sidewalk for safety, and riders must be pedaling on the rail trail. \u201cThis allows them to be very clear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI just read where the state is coming up with mandates to register these vehicles. I know we have to have something \u2014 I cannot vote for this if those Class 2 bikes are allowed on those bike paths,\u201d said Burns.<\/p>\n

\u201cA year or two ago we passed ordinances that allowed bicycles on sidewalks. Does that ordinance interfere with this?\u201d asked Councilor Ralph Figy.<\/p>\n

Onyski said once this ordinance passes, the committee will go through all of the ordinances and take care of amendments that need to be made.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo Councilor Burns\u2019 point, all users are required to obey 15 mph on the bike trail. Lt. Parrish was there, and was in favor of how this was written. Going over 15 mph would be a violation,\u201d said Councilor Karen Fanion.<\/p>\n

Councilor Nicholas Morganelli, Jr., asked if college kids at Westfield State University will be able to ride them downtown. \u201cI don\u2019t see how the speed isn\u2019t more important than the actual mode of transportation. Some people can get on bicycles and ride pretty darn fast \u2014 it\u2019s all about the speed. Barring motorized scooters on a rail trail is inappropriate; if someone wants to ride on a motorized bike on the rail trail, they can go all the way down to Connecticut,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Fanion said Class 1 and 2 bikes and mopeds can still be used on the streets.<\/p>\n

Onyski asked for an initial vote on the ordinance, to allow him to make some minor changes suggested during the discussion. The vote passed 11-2, with a second reading scheduled for June 19.<\/p>\n

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