eBikes

Commented the following:

I strongly urge you to allow ebikes anywhere you allow unpowered bikes. This should be considered an issue of accessibility. As I get older, fatter, and less fit, I've been riding bikes less and less. However, the recent purchase of an ebike has reopened those opportunities for me. It allows me to bike distances I haven't considered in years. It also "flattens" the world for me -- no longer do hills in my path disincentivize me from setting out. Nor am I the only person in this position -- ebikes are empowering many people to explore the world around them in ways not possible on a non-motorized bike.

My ebike assists me in achieving speeds up to 25mph (theoretically -- I'm pretty sure their test riders were all lighter and fitter than me!). Depending on the road or trail on which I'm riding, that could be a ludicrously unsafe speed, both for me and the people around me. Naturally, I have to use my best judgement to choose a safe speed. However, this same judgement is exercised by those on regular bikes -- even an unpowered bicycle is a marvelously efficient machine, and I am frequently passed by fitter riders on unpowered bikes.

Ebikes cause no more wear on trails then regular bikes. Forbidding ebikes would certainly decrease wear on trails, simply because fewer riders would be able to use the trails. However, deliberately limiting park access to those fit enough to ride unpowered bikes seems rather contrary to the goal of sharing nature with the general public.