Last Summer, when Massachusetts Dept of Conservation & Recreation (MA DCR) held public hearings about banning ALL ebikes from state-managed, natural surface trails, I posted here trying to rally MA eMTBers to make their voices heard, and many of you came through. Unfortunately, New England MTB Ass'n's (NEMBA's) executive director and Board already had DCR officials convinced that all ebikes are "motorized" and have no place on MTB-legal trails.
In November, DCR announced that, until "further study" was done on eMTBs' impact on their trails, their regulation "limits e-bike use on trails to class 1 bikes on improved surface paths of 8 feet in width or greater." Improved trails means paved, graveled etc., but not natural surface trails - including those that allow ATVs and other motor vehicles. So we can't even ride alongside stink-ass quads and dirtbikes, according to DCR! WTF?!?!
NEMBA's got the ears of all 7 New England states' land managers. In 2018, Connecticut adopted the 3 class ebike classification, except on natural surface trails. eMTBs are thus banned from all MTB-legal trails in CT, too. This will be the case in all 7 NE states - if it isn't already - unless they hear from a LOT more of us!
I realize that the tide is turning as more and more MTBers reach AARP-eligibility age, but I feel that we can make it rise faster and get the powers-that-be to hear us collectively more than individually. IMBA co-founder and eMTB access activist Michael Kelley somehow heard about my 2017 DCR Ranger demo ride and my other efforts with DCR officials last year. He asked if I have the "bandwidth" to get New England e-mountainbikers to join together - this is me trying to do so here...
I've served on non-profit boards and been involved in some activism (disability rights, clean energy) over the years, but starting up an organization is not in my repertoire. So if any New England-based eMTBers reading this have such experience or simply want to join in, please chime in here or send me a PM.
Thanks for reading and Ride On!
In November, DCR announced that, until "further study" was done on eMTBs' impact on their trails, their regulation "limits e-bike use on trails to class 1 bikes on improved surface paths of 8 feet in width or greater." Improved trails means paved, graveled etc., but not natural surface trails - including those that allow ATVs and other motor vehicles. So we can't even ride alongside stink-ass quads and dirtbikes, according to DCR! WTF?!?!
NEMBA's got the ears of all 7 New England states' land managers. In 2018, Connecticut adopted the 3 class ebike classification, except on natural surface trails. eMTBs are thus banned from all MTB-legal trails in CT, too. This will be the case in all 7 NE states - if it isn't already - unless they hear from a LOT more of us!
I realize that the tide is turning as more and more MTBers reach AARP-eligibility age, but I feel that we can make it rise faster and get the powers-that-be to hear us collectively more than individually. IMBA co-founder and eMTB access activist Michael Kelley somehow heard about my 2017 DCR Ranger demo ride and my other efforts with DCR officials last year. He asked if I have the "bandwidth" to get New England e-mountainbikers to join together - this is me trying to do so here...
I've served on non-profit boards and been involved in some activism (disability rights, clean energy) over the years, but starting up an organization is not in my repertoire. So if any New England-based eMTBers reading this have such experience or simply want to join in, please chime in here or send me a PM.
Thanks for reading and Ride On!