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Mountain News: Regulating electric bicycles

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo.—Elected officials in Breckenridge this week were scheduled to take up how to regulate dock-less fleets of electric bicycles.
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BRECKENRIDGE, Colo.—Elected officials in Breckenridge this week were scheduled to take up how to regulate dock-less fleets of electric bicycles.

Breckenridge has an interest in seeing more people on bikes, including e-powered ones, instead of motoring around in cars. Cars create more congestion and they also pollute.

“We really want to see people get that last mile and reduce the need for a car,” says Haley Littleton, the town’s director of communications.

Last summer, 25 red, white and black electric bikes were introduced to the streets of Breckenridge in an e-bike share program. Littleton said it was particularly useful for people after the town buses ceased operation at 11 p.m.

But problems, including bike clutter and pedestrian impediments, were also apparent.

There was also confusion about whether the e-bikes could be used on recreation paths.

Since then, Breckenridge has studied how Denver and other town and cities have dealt with dock-less bike programs. “We’re trying to be proactive, to get a balance between regulation and increasing mobility,” said Littleton.