Due to concerns about safety, Worel recently called on the city council to review Park City’s e-bike ordinance, which was last updated in 2019.
It includes a provision allowing riders 65 and older or those with a mobility disability to use a class 1 e-bike on singletrack trails. Class 1 e-bikes have a maximum speed of 20 mph, and don’t have throttles.
The mayor said Friday she’s heard resident concerns about that rule potentially being overturned, and said she has no plans to push for such a measure.
“I’ll say now that that is not my intent, and I don’t believe that’s in the interest of the council,” Worel said. “We know that privilege is well-used by our seniors.”
Worel said her primary concerns relate to younger people riding e-bikes at high speeds on popular paved trails.
“We were in Park Meadows this spring and there was a lot of concern by the residents there about teenagers specifically on their e-bikes, more than one of them on a bike, two to three will be riding, no helmets, at high speeds, and the neighbors are scared,” she said.
Utah law restricts people under 14 from riding an e-bike unsupervised, but Worel noted that rule is nearly impossible to enforce.
The Park City Council plans to discuss potential changes to the e-bike ordinance in late August.
