It’s expensive to operate a motor vehicle these days. That’s one reason we are seeing an increasing number of e-bikes and e-scooters on our streets.

Personal mobility devices aren’t a bad thing. It’s good that there are lower-cost options for people to get themselves from place to place than cars or trucks. And if e-bikes or e-scooters are used properly there is no reason why cars, trucks, pedestrians and personal mobility devices can’t share the road safely.

The problem is proper, safe use.

Warren City Council members are expected to discuss the issue again during their July meeting. We share council members’ concerns over near-misses between e-bikes and pedestrians on sidewalks as well as near-misses between e-bikes and cars on the road. Simply banning the devices in Warren is a step too far, but clear laws and signs governing where they can be used are sorely needed in Warren. E-bikes shouldn’t be on the sidewalks where people are trying to walk. Once pushed to the road e-bikes should follow the rules of the road – but how many e-bike riders know the rules of the road when it comes to bicycles?

That brings us to the state. Given the speeds e-bikes can travel, it’s shocking that Pennsylvania, and other states as well, aren’t doing more to make sure e-bike riders are educated about the rules of the road. There are no licenses required for an e-bike even though they can travel at city speeds and compete with vehicular traffic. There are no state registrations required, nor inspections to make sure the transportation is safe. And, as New York City found out a couple of years ago, e-bikes with faulty batteries can create a public safety issue if their batteries overheat while charging and start fires. In our opinion, it’s time for the state to make sure riders are taught how to safely ride e-bikes, which in our view should mean some sort of state safety course in order to ride one on a street.

As we said, restrictions shouldn’t be so onerous that no one can use an e-bike. But we see enough unsafe behaviors by e-bike riders to think some safety regulations are needed.