Scottsdale implements new e-bike restrictions for minors

Changes coming to e-bikes in Scottsdale for minors

Beginning next week, Scottsdale will prohibit anyone under 16 from riding Class 3 e-bikes on city property. The city will also require all e-bikes on city roadways to be titled and registered. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz has the details.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - A Valley city is cracking down on a popular method of transportation.

Starting next week, Scottsdale is putting new ordinances into effect that will ban anyone under 16 from riding certain e-bikes.

Local perspective:

Bobby Corrales, owner of Rides N Motion e-bike shop in Scottsdale, says he's thrilled with the crackdown. He has four children and says none of them own e-bikes because of how dangerous they can be.

"I would never give my kids a gun and tell them to play in the desert. I wouldn't do it with a bike either," Corrales said.

E-biking is a popular hobby in Arizona but can also be a dangerous one. That's why the city of Scottsdale is implementing new ordinances aimed at keeping riders, particularly kids, safe.

"It really seems like they just want a punitive program where I feel like if you come to one of my stores, we really want to educate you on the safety first," Corrales said.

He fully supports the new change.

"I think it's fantastic that we're proactively doing something. I've wanted it for years," Corrales said. "The entire time I've been selling bikes, I really haven’t endorsed youth riding for electric bikes."

Dig deeper:

Starting July 31, people under the age of 16 cannot operate a Class 3 e-bike, electric motorcycle, or similar vehicle that goes 21 mph or faster on city property. Class 3 bikes are defined as those exceeding 25 to 28 mph.

Electric bikes that are not titled and registered with the state will also be forbidden on city roadways. Businesses that sell Class 3 e-bikes or electric motorcycles are now required to post a written notice in their stores stating that anyone under 16 cannot use them and must put stickers on Class 3 bikes to identify them.

Any violation of these ordinances will result in a $100 fine. Under these new rules, sellers will also have to give buyers educational materials from the city when they purchase a bike.

Corrales says that's already a big part of his business; he developed an online safety course called E-Bike U for teens.