E-Bikes Take Over Streets Across the World

Aniket Tank, editor-in-chief

It's impossible to walk around any park these days without being almost run over by electric bikes and scooters zooming around at 20 mph. In early 2026, the city of John Creek passed a measure allowing e-bikes on interior park paths. Since then, e-bikes and e-scooters have been, to some, plaguing parks. Yet, outside suburban parks, in big cities like Atlanta and New York City (NYC), e-bikes aren’t just used for recreation. Commuters, food delivery drivers and people going about their lives use e-bikes as a source of transportation. For residents of big cities, e-bikes are a form of public transit, not a toy.  

In February 2026, the Johns Creek City Council passed an ordinance allowing e-bikes on sidewalks but not inside public parks.  

“The new bicycle today is the electric bicycle,” said council member Larry Dibaise, who is in support of e-bikes inside public parks.  

“At least when I’m in the park, my guard is down,” said council member Stacy Skinner who voted against allowing e-bikes inside public parks. Despite e-bikes still being prohibited from public parks, enforcement is still low. Inside Newtown Park it's not hard to find someone on an e-bike. 

Health officials have raised alarms over e-bikes.  

“This year alone, we've seen more [injuries] than we saw in the entire 12 months of last year,” said Caitilin Coit, pediatric trauma program manager. 

“We have seen really severe traumatic brain injuries. We have seen children who get very severe facial fractures,” said Pediatric surgeon Cornelia Griggs, as e-bikes pose a different safety concern than traditional pedal bikes. 

"When you have a 12-year-old who's operating a motor vehicle in the roadway, that is just a recipe for an unsafe situation," said Roswell Police Public Information Officer Tim Lupo. 

E-bike injuries and deaths have surged in kids over the past few years. New regulations are targeting non-street-legal bikes, but illegal modifications and a lack of enforcement are keeping crashes and other incidents possible.  

In early 2021, U.S. researchers reported a 49 percent increase in e-bike riders that have head trauma nationally over the past five years, according to the American College of Surgeons. 

Despite these dangers, outside of suburbia, e-bikes play a crucial role in public transportation. In Atlanta, the prevalence of bike lanes and other bike friendly infrastructure encourages bike and e-bike usage for commuters, college students and delivery drivers. Shared e-bikes from companies like Lime have seen increased ridership since 2026, nearly four million riders a year. For shorter distances, e-bikes are just better than driving because of congested roads and hard to find or expensive parking.  

Almost half of daily trips taken by Americans are under three miles, which is too far to walk, and for most of America there is a lack of public transportation options such as trains and busses. Improved battery and motor technology have enabled e-bikes to become a competitive form of transportation for distances under 10 miles, which is why they have become so popular.  In congested urban areas, e-bikes are faster, have higher efficiency and are easier to find parking for than cars. 

Food delivery companies such as DoorDash, tout two wheeled vehicles as a critical part of their business and for the community. According to Door Dash, Dashers make 10 percent more an hour on two wheels than those in cars and are four times faster.  

The argument against e-bikes comes back to safety. Places where it's allowed to ride e-bikes are usually also places where pedestrians are walking. Critics argue that pedestrians should not have to share sidewalks or greenways with vehicles going 25 mph. Even in places with dedicated bike lanes, e-bikes can be dangerous to people on traditional pedal bikes. 

E-bikes are still a relatively new technology, and regulations are inevitable. New Jersey has passed a law requiring license and registration for e-bikes, with many more states considering similar laws.  

E-bikes are an increasingly accessible and environmentally friendly form of transportation, but to protect public safety, proper regulations and robust infrastructure must be implemented to meet the moment.