Boulder County Commissioners on Wednesday directed county staff to conduct deeper research on two options for allowing e-bikes on county open space, but signaled they don’t want to simply follow the state Legislature’s lead.
“We don’t necessarily need to follow what the Legislature says,” Commissioner Cindy Domenico. “We often don’t anyway.”
A law enacted last year makes Colorado a permissive state by default for e-bikes — bicycles that are assisted by an electric motor — unless they are prohibited in a local jurisdiction. Currently, Boulder County does not allow the vehicles on open space property.
Class 1 bikes are defined as only providing assistance when the pedals are turned, and the motor stops running at 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes operate even when no one is pedaling, but the motor also stops at 20 mph.
County staff has recommended a pilot program allowing Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes on regional trails and all plains trails where bikes are allowed. The pilot program would run through 2019 and would exclude three trails — the Coalton, Mayhoffer Singletree and Boulder Canyon trails, the latter of which was excluded at the request of the city of Boulder.
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