Cashmere weighs response to rise in electric bikes

CASHMERE — As increasingly powerful electric bikes and motorcycle-style electric vehicles become more common in Cashmere, city officials say they're trying to determine how to address growing safety concerns without overreacting to a rapidly changing technology.

During Monday's City Council meeting, Director of Operations Steve Croci said the city has received increasing complaints involving high-speed electric bikes, scooters and other motorized vehicles, including riders traveling the wrong way on streets, speeding through downtown sidewalks and using the Brent Holladay Memorial Pump Track with machines capable of much higher speeds than traditional bicycles.

Councilmember Chris Carlson said he has seen riders on four-wheelers and increasingly powerful electric motorcycles operating on city streets, while also describing young children riding double on electric scooters at speeds around 25 mph.

Mayor Jim Fletcher said the city's initial approach is focused on education rather than punishment, with staff working alongside the Chelan County Sheriff's Office to encourage safer riding practices. He noted that schools have the authority to prohibit the vehicles on school property, but regulating their use elsewhere is more complicated.

Fletcher also recalled a past incident in which a pedestrian was "clobbered" by a skateboard rider emerging onto a downtown sidewalk, saying the city is concerned today's faster and heavier electric bikes could create similar conflicts. He also expressed concern that some parents are allowing young children to operate the vehicles without helmets or a clear understanding of traffic laws.

"We're concerned about it," Croci told the council. "We're just not sure what legally or effectively we can put in place."

Officials said the issue is not unique to Cashmere, with communities around Washington wrestling with how to regulate a new generation of electric-powered bikes that often blur the line between bicycles and motorcycles.

For now, city leaders said education remains their preferred first step while they continue evaluating possible responses and encouraging riders to follow existing traffic laws and yield to pedestrians.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media