The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) recently announced that e-bikes are legal on PA public lands! Specifically, on November 28, 2022, DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn executed the Department’s final policy as it relates to the use of e-bikes on certain PA public lands. Below is a bullet-point list of some of the keys of the policy.
Note that this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice!
- What is an e-bike?
- An e-bike is a bicycle that has an electric motor that assists the rider when they are pedaling.
- It must not exceed 100 pounds.
- It cannot exceed 20 mph while using the motor.
- The bike’s motor cannot be capable of producing more than 750 watts. Calculate wattage by multiplying the voltage by the amp hours of the motor.
- It must be fully functional without the motor (i.e., is operable as a human-powered pedal bike).
- DCNR provides the class of e-bikes permitted. Click the PDF link below for more on the class of e-bikes.
- Where on PA public lands can you ride e-bikes?
- E-bikes are legal wherever pedal bikes are legal.
- Specifically, use is legal on
- Single-track trails authorized for biking in state parks and forests;
- Rail-trails managed by DCNR;
- Multi-use trails in state parks and forests; and
- DCNR-managed motorized trails and public-use roads, unless otherwise prohibited. Abide by all traffic laws.
- Where are e-bikes (and any other bikes) prohibited?
- Trails in natural areas (unless specifically permitted);
- Designated hiking trails (blazed yellow or orange); and
- Trails or roads specifically marked as prohibiting bikes.
- What are the other limitations?
- The e-bike’s motor cannot exclusively power the e-bike on trails designated for non-motorized use.
- Class 2 e-bikes with throttles are legal as long as they meet the above; however, use of the throttle is illegal on non-motorized trails.
- Note that the DCNR policy does not apply to state game lands, national forest lands, private preserves, or municipal and county-managed lands and trails.
For more information, please see the DCNR announcement or the summary PDF. Let us know in the comments what you think of the new policy making e-Bikes legal on certain PA public lands!
For other useful resource articles from The Hub, click the Resources tab at the top of the page. One of those articles includes The Hub’s Trail User Best Practices During PA Hunting Season. A must-read if you are riding during any hunting seasons.
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