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
I believe e-bikes give all folks the same rights as any other bicyclist or hiker to enjoy the great beauty our National Parks trails we share. I have seen many folks that bike and the e-assist bikers are no different, they enjoy the parks and trails and respect the beauty that is i trusted to us.
E-bikes should be allow in our National Parks for all that are willing to have fun.
This is great. I lost my left leg in motorcycle accident and I can't peddle on a regular bike (not yet anyway). My ebike lets me go places I can't get to otherwise.
At 70 yrs old I am just not able to bike or hike the way I used to. My wife and I bought e-bikes 6 months ago, and where before we went biking only a few times a month we have been out nearly every day since then. They have completely changed our lives. I can understand the views of those who see them as intruding on their outdoor experience, as in my younger years I too have complained about horses, mules, snow machines, bikes, and even others hikers intruding on mine. But there are plenty of trails in the parks that are for foot travel only. Allowing e-bikes where regular bikes are allowed makes sense. Responsible riders don't fly downhill where hikers are present at 25mph on either type of bike, and irresponsible riders will do so whether on an e-bike or regular bike. Concerns about potentially crowded bike trails should be addressed regardless if the crowded trails are the result of e-bike or regular bike riders. I don't doubt that further rules might be needed to reduce problems of overcrowding on popular trails, but they should be in terms of speed limits, poor rider behavior, peak period closures, or others that treat e-bikes and regular bikes equally.
Responsible e-bike riders will be no more a problem than responsible regular bike riders. E-bikes will have a very limited range in difficult, remote terrain so if you want a pristine experience it won't be hard to find. I say this as someone that has backpacked for hundreds of miles in our National Parks but at 80 yes old I am now just too old to bike or hike like I used to.
I'm 61 and have severe arthritis in my knees. I bought an e-bike so that the pedal assist would help when riding up hills or against the wind. I ride more and much farther because of this assist, and I use the minimal assist 90% of the time. My motor is much quieter than a human voice. I have been often left in the dust by non-electric bikers who can potentially ride much faster than me, especially when going down hills (yeah, I'm a chicken!). Bike riding provides a non-weight bearing, enjoyable activity and exercise that helps my knees and my overall fitness, and this would be true of many seniors and disabled persons. I don't think too many seniors would be going all out with the speed factor. These bikes are also not cheap, but I figure they're less expensive than cardiac bypass surgery. ;-)
I would encourage anyone who has concerns about e-bikes to go to a bike store and try one (or rent one) if you have not already done so. Perhaps a good initial compromise would be to limit the speeds on all bikes to 15 mph or less, and maybe limiting the use to those with a special permit for disability and for folks aged 55 and over? I think once everyone sees more e-bikes in use, that will quell the fears and concerns, and then the limits could be relaxed accordingly.
Some trails are not accessible to bike use, so I think there's room for everybody here. I live in a state that has national forests and small national parks, so I would like to be able to use bike trails in these areas, which are safer than riding on roads. Getting more people to use the parks would increase the number of paid annual passes, which in turn would provide more funding for park upkeep. We all pay taxes for the national parks, so it only makes sense that any taxpayer should be able to use them.
Acadia National Park has three types of ways to explore its interior. The paved road for cars and bicyclists, The carriage road for hiking/biking/horses, and the tougher terrain for hiking. What is proposed currently is to allow access to the carriage roads to ebikes. As a current biker of the carriage roads, there are many hazards should one exceed the recommended speeds. People have noted children on bicycles, horse carriges, clueless pedestrians, inexperienced bikers... I have easily, but carefully, surpassed the 20mph zooming down some of the hills on a regular mountain bike. The key is to have control and awareness of others. These roads are patrolled by a bicycle NPS patrolman, similar to a ski ranger. They will fine for reckless riding. Ebikes only allow for more accessability and hopefully, not more recklessness. Reckless riding is due to the rider. I totally support the change to allow ebikes onto the carriage roads. A bit off-topic: We recently rode with friends on one of the trails, it was 1.5 miles uphill. They said they would never ride that trail again. With an ebike, it would have been much more enjoyable for them.
I grew up an avid hiker and camper, but currently at aage 70, have two bad knees, bone on bone in one foot leading to constant pain, and also severe spinal stenosis. From what I've been reading I'm apparently a good candidate for an ebike.
I take a slightly different view on it. I don't want to ride NPS trails on any sort of bicycle, because I simply choose to avoid the potential for liability. I easily picture an on-leash dog or off leash 5-year-old child making a sudden impulsive zig or zag and crash boom bang. I saw every variety of this in the decades I was a first responder. Thank you, but I have a beautiful hiking staff, or alternatively a pair of hiking poles, and will get to where I want to go slower, or perhaps I won't get there. I've been lucky enough in my life to have taken big bites out of life, and have hiked deserts, glaciers, and many a switchback in between. I"m good with this.
BTW - I am only speaking for myself. This is my decision for me; not my decision for anyone else.
Bravo! So excited to hear that e-bikes are allowed on National Park Trails. The e-bike is exactly that, a bike, no need to prohibit use of it on a bike trail in the National Parks or any bike trail!