Key takeaways

 •  Develop an understanding of types and definitions of e-bikes, including U.S. federal guidance and regulation
 •  Understand the range and variation of existing North American regulations, and the ramifications for adoption and use of e-bikes
 •  Explore Boulder’s Electric Bike Pilot Project, including models for testing and evaluation 

Description

As electric assist bikes become more prevalent, cities must figure out how to integrate these devices into existing transportation networks. This webinar will help you to understand the spectrum of options and get the grounding you need to introduce this topic to your community’s stakeholders.

John MacArthur, the Sustainable Transportation Program Manager for TREC at Portland State University, explains the definition and classifications of electric assist bikes, discusses the speed differential of these devices, and provides a review of current North American regulations. Marni Ratzel, Senior Transportation Manager at the City of Boulder, presents the background and results of Boulder’s Electric Bike Pilot Project, which has temporarily allowed the use of e-bikes on paved multiuse paths. The project provides an outstanding model for testing e-bike use, integrating public concerns into regulations, and evaluating results.

Presenters

John MacArthur is the Sustainable Transportation Program Manager for the Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University.  He is active in research related to sustainable transportation, particularly in the areas of transportation electrification, climate adaptation, and the relationship between transportation and public health. John is focused on exploring how technology can get more people biking and biking more often in more safe ways. Before joining the OTREC staff, he was the Sustainable Transportation Coordinator for HDR Inc. and worked on Oregon's OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program, replacing or retrofitting over 200 state bridges. He has worked for 18 years in the environmental and sustainability field. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Lehigh University and a M.S. in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health.

Marni Ratzel is a senior transportation planner with the City of Boulder, Colorado. Her primary responsibilities are focused on bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning, utilizing a comprehensive approach comprised of the Five Es, which she will briefly discuss in her presentation today, to increase biking and walking trips in Boulder. A regular bus and bicycle commuter, Marni encourages others to integrate bicycling and walking into their daily routine as fun, viable and efficient transportation modes. She received her master's degree in City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University in 1994 and has served city government as a planner in the transportation field for over 19 years.