The public is invited to attend a public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to learn more about options being considered for a proposed electric-assisted bicycle (e-bikes) pilot project.  The meeting will be held at the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder building located at 1750 33rd St., in the Houston Room on the first floor. For those interested, e-bike users and retailers will offer the opportunity to test ride e-bikes and learn more about the technology from 4 to 5 p.m. prior the meeting.

This effort is part of the ‘Complete Streets’ focus area of the current process to update to the city’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP).

 

How do you feel about electric bikes on the bike/pedestrian paths?

How do you feel about electric bikes on the bike/pedestrian paths?

This meeting is a follow-up to an initial e-bikes public meeting held in early August.  That meeting introduced the potential pilot project to the community and initiated discussions about e-bike use on multi-use paths.  At the Sept. 4 meeting, transportation staff will present options under consideration for amending the definition of an e-bike and for testing e-bike use on multi-use paths.  If residents are not able to attend the public meeting, the city is also collecting feedback on e-bikes with a survey available here: www.surveymonkey.com/s/E-bikesurvey.  City staff will also be performing in-person surveys on multi-use paths around Boulder.

Currently, e-bikes are only allowed in on roadways and on-street bicycle lanes.  The potential pilot program would allow e-bikes on off-street multi-use paths, not including open space trails.

Comments from the public meeting and other outreach events will be used to inform the final pilot proposal.

The Transportation Advisory Board will hold a public hearing on e-bikes on Sept. 23 and make a formal recommendation to City Council.  Council will consider the pilot ordinance at a first reading on Oct. 1; a second reading and public hearing will be held on Oct. 22.  If approved by council, the pilot project would be launched in November 2013. Based on community feedback and results from the pilot project, council would evaluate whether to continue to allow the use of e-bikes on multi-use paths.

E-bikes are part of the city’s bicycle innovations under review as part of the TMP update’s “living laboratory” concept.  Throughout the summer/fall, test facilities and pilot program will be launched to better understand transportation choices and identify strategies that encourage more people in our community to walk and bike.

For more information about the TMP update and to sign up for the ‘Community Feedback Panel’ for bicycle innovations, visit www.BoulderTMP.net.  To participate in the online community conversation, visitwww.inspireboulder.com.

–CITY–

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