By Edward Cooney, MBA, CCIC
E-bikes are changing how people travel through New Jersey communities. They’re increasingly common on local roads, shared paths and school grounds, bringing new mobility options along with new safety concerns.
For municipalities and school districts, the challenge goes beyond preventing accidents. E-bike use raises questions about traffic safety, student supervision, enforcement, emergency response and even fire prevention.
And because those responsibilities fall across multiple departments, addressing them effectively requires a coordinated approach.
E-bikes can travel faster than conventional bicycles, creating safety concerns when riders share space with pedestrians, motorists and other cyclists.
Research also suggests that e-bike crashes can result in significant injuries, particularly among younger riders.
A 2023 study of pediatric e-bike injuries by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine reported that approximately one-quarter of the patients studied required intensive care. While the findings reflect a specific patient population, they underscore the potential severity of these accidents.
For public entities, the takeaway is straightforward: E-bike safety deserves attention before an incident occurs, not just in response to one.
A comprehensive response doesn’t necessarily require creating an entirely new safety program. It begins with examining existing policies, infrastructure and responsibilities through the lens of e-bike use.
Start with locations where e-bikes, vehicles and pedestrians regularly interact.
School entrances, intersections, shared-use paths, parking areas and busy municipal facilities are logical places to begin.
Questions to consider:
New Jersey Department of Transportation resources, including its school zone and Complete Streets design guidance, can help inform these reviews.
E-bike laws and safety practices may be unfamiliar to employees whose responsibilities now bring them into contact with riders.
Crossing guards, law enforcement officers, school administrators and personnel responsible for roads and recreational facilities should understand applicable regulations and their roles in supporting safe use.
Training should address practical situations employees may encounter, not simply summarize the law.
For example, how should a crossing guard respond when an e-bike approaches a school crossing? What should school personnel do when a student rides an e-bike through a crowded pedestrian area?
Clear expectations help employees respond consistently.
Schools and municipalities should review whether existing bicycle and transportation policies adequately address e-bikes.
For school districts, that may mean establishing expectations for where students can ride, park and store their e-bikes, as well as who is responsible for supervision.
Some districts may also want to consider a parent registration process for student-owned e-bikes.
For municipalities, policy considerations may include use of public facilities, shared paths and other locations where e-bikes interact with pedestrians.
Policies should be clear, practical and consistent with applicable law. Just as important, employees and community members need to understand them.
E-bikes introduce another potential exposure: lithium-ion batteries.
Damaged, defective or improperly charged batteries can overheat and cause fires, presenting risks in schools, municipal buildings and other public facilities.
Public entities should review where e-bikes are parked, stored or charged and whether existing fire safety procedures address these conditions.
Facilities personnel and emergency responders should also understand the risks associated with lithium-ion battery incidents.
Perhaps the most important step is making sure e-bike safety doesn’t become a collection of disconnected efforts.
A municipality’s police department may focus on enforcement while public works considers road design and the fire department addresses battery hazards. Schools may be developing separate policies for student riders.
Each has an important role. But without coordination, gaps can emerge.
Public entity leaders should consider bringing the appropriate departments together to identify exposures, clarify responsibilities and agree on priorities.
The result should be a practical action plan, with clear ownership of the steps that need to be taken.
E-bike risk management illustrates the value of looking at public entity exposures across departments and disciplines.
Conner Strong & Buckelew works with public entity clients to identify risks, bring together relevant expertise and translate that knowledge into practical recommendations.
For example, CSB’s risk control professionals have shared NJDOT infrastructure guidance with clients and reviewed specific locations upon request. They have also developed crossing guard training addressing e-bike laws and safety practices.
CSB can help clients evaluate policy considerations, although it does not provide standardized e-bike policy templates. Its risk control team has also addressed lithium-ion battery fire exposures with fire departments and can help clients explore related training needs.
These activities reflect a broader approach: understanding how different exposures intersect and helping clients develop a coordinated response.
E-bike safety isn’t exclusively a warm-weather concern. Municipalities and school districts need time to assess exposures, establish policies, coordinate departments and prepare personnel.
Starting that work now can help public entities move from reacting to individual incidents toward managing e-bike risks more systematically.
For guidance on evaluating e-bike exposures and developing a practical risk management approach, contact your Conner Strong & Buckelew team.
Edward Cooney, MBA, CCIC
Partner, Managing Account Executive, Public Entity Practice Leader, Cyber Center of Excellence Co-Leader
