Ocean City Mayor Jay Gillian
Dear Friends,
I recently wrote about different efforts to protect the safety of e-bike riders, and I want to provide an update after meeting with Assemblyman Antwan McClellan this morning.
Our assemblyman is supporting a bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter (D-Somerset, Union) that would require all e-bikes to be registered with the state Motor Vehicle Commission and to be insured. The proposed legislation would not require low-speed e-bike riders to have a driver’s license.
If it’s approved and enacted, the bill would not be a cure-all for all the safety issues surrounding e-bikes. But it would achieve a couple important things: 1) It would provide a mechanism for law enforcement to more easily identify e-bikes and riders who violate the law, 2) Because only individuals age 17 or older can register a vehicle, it would require an adult or near-adult to be accountable for any young rider.
The draft bill is currently being considered at the committee level. If advanced, the measure could be voted on by the state Legislature in the fall and take effect in 2026.
Mayor Jay Gillian is urging changes in state law that would provide more e-bike safety. I want to encourage you all to support this measure as just one small way to address the problem.
But most importantly, I want to continue to urge parents to understand the potential danger of e-bikes in the hands of young riders. And I want to remind all adult e-bike riders that they must follow the rules of the road. While our police department is working hard to raise awareness and increase enforcement, you alone can make the biggest difference.
Low-speed e-bikes and e-scooters must ride in the same direction as traffic and obey all traffic lights, signs and signals. Helmets are required for all riders under age 17 and advised for all other low-speed e-bike riders.
E-bikes should not ride on sidewalks, and parked e-bikes should not block pedestrian or wheelchair access. And everyone should slow down and be cautious on the crowded streets of Ocean City year-round – and be especially careful as the school year starts again in the next few weeks.
Warm regards,
Mayor Jay A. Gillian
