In June, a 62-year-old man riding an e-bike without a helmet, which isn’t legally required, was found dead in a bunker at the Canyons Village golf course.
Later that month, Park City Mayor Nann Worel told the city council about another e-bike encounter she witnessed.
“I was on the Rail Trail recently, and had my heart in my throat, because a toddler was almost mowed down by a young man on an e-bike that he was using as a moped,” Worel said. “This is not the first time that’s happened. I’m continually getting emails and comments from the public about the speed that e-bikes are going on our Rail Trail as well as some of our other trails.”
She followed that up with a request.
“The last time that this council talked about e-bikes on trails was in 2019," she said. "There’s been a lot of changes in the technology and the equipment since then. I’m wondering if council would be open to revisiting our policy regarding e-bikes.”
The city council unanimously agreed with the mayor to review local e-bike laws.
Electric bikes are motorized vehicles that fall into three classes.
Class 1 is the slowest of e-bikes; they have electrically-assisted pedals and reach speeds of up to 20 mph.
Class 2 are electrically-assisted bicycles controlled by throttles. They also max out at 20 mph.
Class 3 applies to electrically-assisted pedal bikes with speedometers and can go up to 28 mph.
No e-bikes whatsoever are allowed on Park City single-track trails. However, the city council approved an ordinance in 2019 allowing people older than 65 or those with a mobility disability to use class 1 e-bikes on trails, if they obtain a tag.
Despite those rules, Silver Star Ski & Sport Owner Todd Fischer said he regularly sees e-bikers breaking that ordinance on Park City Mountain’s trail system.
“I literally see them every day I’m out there,” Fischer said. “I own the bike shop at the bottom of Armstrong. I see them going up there every day, and I just think the ordinance - it’s just time to kind of revisit it. Demand is there for both residents and our tourist friends. And I just see a lot of confrontation.”
Park City Councilmember Jeremy Rubell said there have been questions about whether the exceptions for e-bikes on trails should stay in place.
“One of the issues that’s been raised is - it’s not just about e-bikes - it’s also about people going downhill on bikes, and perhaps going too fast on some trails and causing safety issues,” he said.
Rubell said he wants to look holistically at bike use, as more people ride on not only mountain trails but paved paths like the Poison Creek Trail.
“That is something we’ve heard a lot of concern about, as the rider age is getting younger and some folks don’t have drivers licenses who are riding e-bikes and maybe don’t know the rules of the road very well," he said. “There’s also the issue of multi-use on those paths and when you have folks walking, or folks with dogs, or folks on non e-bikes… How do we manage that? And how do we keep everyone safe and enjoying our beautiful resources in town?”
Utah code says anyone under 8 years old cannot operate an e-bike. Additionally, people under 14 cannot use an e-bike without parental supervision. On top of that, those under 16 cannot use a class 3 e-bike.
However, Summit County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Kacey Bates said those codes are difficult to enforce.
The city council plans to address e-bike rules in late August.
