E-bikes in Augusta raising ‘significant public safety alarms’
BY Susan Cover Maine
PUBLISHED 1:42 PM ET Aug. 11, 2026
AUGUSTA — In response to complaints about e-bikes on sidewalks and speeding on city streets, Augusta city officials are working to remind the public about the rules of the road.
Earl Kingsbury, director of community services, said e-bikes are a popular way for residents to get around town. But with increased use, come increased problems.
“Sidewalks, we’re seeing a lot of folks on sidewalks with these bikes, which create a safety issue,” he said.
In a recent update to city council, City Manager Jared Mills cited “rising complaints regarding speeding, sidewalk riding, and ignored traffic signals.” It’s something Mills — a former city police chief — describes as raising “significant public safety alarms.”
And it’s not just in Augusta.
Signs on both ends of the Boothbay Harbor’s Footbridge ban e-bikes, a popular way for workers in the tourism industry to get to their jobs.
Last fall in Ellsworth, city council discussed whether it made sense to put in new limits on e-bikes following complaints from a resident who said he had almost been hit multiple times by an e-bike on a sidewalk, according to The Ellsworth American.
Bicycle Coalition of Maine Executive Director Andrew Zarro said his group fully supports the responsible use of e-bikes, which fall into three categories. Class 1 and Class 2 go no faster than 20 mph, while Class 3 bikes can reach a top speed of 28 mph.
Those bikes fill a need for cheap transportation, and they often extend the time the older Mainers can comfortably ride a bike, especially if they need help on hills or to haul groceries, Zarro said.
Augusta Community Services Director Earl Kingsbury says the bikes are popping up on city sidewalks, raising public safety concerns. (Spectrum News/Susan Cover)
But he’s concerned that the vehicles now drawing complaints aren’t e-bikes at all, but something called an “e-moto.” They look like e-bikes, but they are high powered and can reach speeds in excess of 50 mph.
“Their function is far more like an electric motorcycle,” he said.
They also aren’t currently regulated by state law, which is something he hopes to address when the Legislature returns in January. Zarro, a former Portland city councilor, is running unopposed for a seat in the Maine House.
“What’s happening is e-motos are damaging the reputation of legitimate e-bikes,” he said. “We don’t want e-motos to be masquerading as e-bikes.”
Back in Augusta, Mills said the first phase of enforcement by local police will be to remind residents and visitors of speed limits, age restrictions, e-bike classifications and laws that apply to human powered bikes and e-bikes.
After that, violators will be cited.
“Violations will include but will not be limited to obeying traffic control devices, sidewalk violations, operating to the far right of the roadway, riding with the flow of traffic, age and class restrictions, and failing to yield to pedestrians,” he wrote. “This initiative aims to restore roadway safety, protect vulnerable pedestrians, and ensure that e-bike riders safely and legally integrate into the local transportation network.”
Kingsbury said those thinking of buying an e-bike need to understand state law and local ordinances that apply to the use of the bikes.
But he also understands that it may soon be up to cities and towns to provide safe spaces for riders who want to use the faster, more powerful bikes for recreation, rather than just transportation.
“There seems to be a growing need for a community to have a place to go to safely ride those types of bikes,” he said. “Maybe we need to start thinking outside of the box, maybe we need to grow with the times.”
As you enter Augusta City Hall, a sign warns e-bike riders to leave their vehicles outside. (Spectrum News/Susan Cover)