LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — An increase in electric bikes and scooters across the Las Vegas valley has become a topic of concern for many residents and was addressed at Tuesday’s county commission meeting.
Often, it’s kids who are behind the wheel and not following the rules of the road, putting their life and others at risk. Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones addressed the topic at Tuesday’s meeting.
“With the increase of these bikes that have been on our streets for the last year or two, it’s really time to take a stand,” Jones said. “Tuesday, we had a good discussion about moving forward and drafting an ordinance to clarify the definition for e-motorcycles because they aren’t found in code right now.”
8 News Now asked Jones what specific laws would be enacted when it came to e-motorcycles and while he didn’t go into specifics, he shared he plans on working with the district attorney and traffic safety division in hopes of having an ordinance drafted up by the end of April.
E-bikes are currently allowed on the sidewalks in unincorporated Clark County and there are also designated bike lanes for these riders too.
“We have dramatically increased the amount of bike lanes across Clark County and the city of Las Vegas over the last few years so the idea is that for those riding at a faster speed, they can take advantage,” he shared.
Over at “WheelZen Rides” near Valley View and Twain, 15-year-old rider Josh Lyons said he understands why the county wants to implement more defined laws for e-bikes. He has seen firsthand what his fellow e-riders can do.
“Normally, my friends and I try to comply with everyone else and while we do pop wheelies, we do so in a less reckless way compared to what we are seeing normally from others,” Josh said.
His mother Paula has funded his hobby and said while she doesn’t condone these kids disrupting traffic, she wishes there were more options in the valley where these kids could ride.
“You just have to hope that your kid isn’t the one who is doing that stuff, so I see both sides. I say give them somewhere to ride and they’ll ride there,” she added.
As for opening a park designated for e-bike riders, Jones didn’t have any immediate plans but said his focus now is to open a new bicycle park off Warm Springs and Fort Apache Road with the hope of breaking ground this year.
