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At last month’s meeting of OV Path Forward’s Resident Working Group, the discussion focused extensively on one new mode of transportation.
Electric bikes (“e-bikes”) are increasingly becoming a fixture in OV’s transportation landscape. They have become an affordable alternative for riders who can benefit from the extra boost: seniors and those with physical challenges, food and package delivery services, commuters who don’t want to get sweaty before work…and many more.
At the same time, e-bikes have created a storm of controversy among transportation planners, cyclists, trail groups, and other stakeholders in the alternative transportation space. Some see e-bikes as more like bicycles, while others see them as more like mopeds.
Even the U.S. Department of Transportation is confused:
“E-bikes present an opportunity to reduce car travel, improve health, and increase access; however, the relationship between e-bikes and safety, infrastructure, and the environment is not fully understood and remains of interest to decision makers…”
The million-dollar question is: Should e-bikes continue to be permitted on our multiuse pathways (also known as “shared use” pathways)? Or should motorized bikes be required to use the street like cars?
E-bikes tend to be faster (particularly up hills), less maneuverable, and both heavier and larger than traditional bikes – creating concern that they may bring safety issues, congestion and confusion to bike lanes.
For example, on uphill grades e-bikes fly by cyclists. On shared use pathways, this means they have to cross over into the opposing lane – a fast downhill section for oncoming traffic – to pass slower cyclists.
Cyclists have long-been vocal defenders of bike lanes, many of which were hard-earned by cycling advocacy groups. They resist, for example, the use of skateboards in bike lanes – not because they are inherently selfish, but because they see any non-bike as a potential safety hazard (just as a car would.)
There have always been outliers in the multiuse space – the recumbent bike, for example, or jogging strollers, or kick scooters. As long as they were self-powered, it was hard for detractors to argue that they didn’t belong on multiuse corridors.
The pushback has been slowly growing for years from the cumulative impact of several new types of electric-powered devices that are increasingly using bike and pedestrian corridors.
Examples include everything from Segways, to mobility scooters, to even the very recent electric unicycle (those gravity-defying devices where the rider straddles one large wheel.)
Once upon a time, the multiuse designation was equated with “non-motorized”. But today, with all these new e-powered devices, that distinction may no longer be useful.
The Town distinguishes “trails” from “multi-use pathways” with the following examples:
Shared use pathways exist along Lambert Lane, Naranja Drive, La Cañada Drive, First Avenue, and Tangerine Road. Additional paths along the Cañada del Oro Wash and Big Wash are part of Pima County’s Huckelberry Loop system.
The Cañada del Oro (CDO) Shared Use Path (also known as the CDO Linear Park) is a 4 mile paved path along the banks of the CDO Wash. It connects with the Big Wash Shared Use Path, which runs adjacent to Oro Valley Marketplace and was built by Vestar.
In total, the CDO/Big Wash Shared Use Path system provides about 7 miles of vehicle-free paths. This system also links to other shared use paths within the Town, including along La Cañada, First Avenue, Lambert Lane, and Tangerine Road, among others. It also links to bicycle routes within the Town.
The Town’s Shared Use Path system CDO and Big Wash segments are considered to be “Loop Links,” which are “spurs” of the Pima County “Loop” shared use path/linear park system which will provide over 120 miles of car-free facilities in the future.
There are 78.89 miles of bicycle facilities within the Town, including 33.47 miles of signed bike routes, 24.4 miles of paved shoulders, and 30.2 miles of shared use paths.
Just last month, the town of OV launched OV Trails Connect: a resident-driven effort to enhance Oro Valley’s trails and multi-use path network.
“Community participation is critical to shaping the future of Oro Valley’s trails and multi-use paths,” said Bayer Vella, Town of Oro Valley Planning Division Manager. “OV Trails Connect will build a vision and action plan that reflects the immediate and future needs of path and trail users.”
