Thank You, Governor Murphy

On his final full day in office on January 19, 2026, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed bipartisan legislation updating regulations governing electric bicycles (E-bikes) in the state. “Thank goodness,” I thought. In the past several months, I was nearly injured or worse by E-bikes three times while walking. The first time was while on the sidewalk of a quiet residential street in the small beach town of Margate, New Jersey this past July. As I was peacefully walking along, a young boy riding an E-bike emerged out of nowhere and came within inches of running me over. He was speeding along on the very pedestrian sidewalk where I was walking. I was able to jump quickly onto a nearby lawn, blessedly avoiding being mowed down.

First of all, what was this kid doing riding on a walkway and, secondly, why was he speeding like he was in a motorcycle drag race? I easily recall sitting on some stranger’s lawn for several minutes just trying to calm myself down while Speed Racer was already several blocks away zooming along sidewalk after sidewalk. He never stopped to see if I was okay or made any attempt at an apology. Fortunately, I was uninjured, but there is no question that I could have been had my reflexes been just a tad slower.

"E-bikes are closer to motorcycles than they are to bicycles and must be treated as such."

Two months later in September, I experienced my second near-catastrophe. This time it was on the boardwalk in the nearby seaside community of Ventnor, New Jersey. Walking along the Ventnor-Atlantic City boardwalk is a favorite summertime activity of mine. It is rarely crowded, and I do not have to worry about car traffic as I stroll. And to bolster further the safety of the boardwalk, the municipalities of Ventnor and Atlantic City make clear—via conspicuous signage—that riding E-bikes on their boardwalks is strictly prohibited. Unfortunately, this does not deter many E-bikers from speeding along the boardwalks. As a result, I had a “Groundhog Day” experience when one came racing at me on the Ventnor boardwalk. Thankfully, I was able to move quickly out of its way. But that should not be. It is a pedestrian walkway, after all. It is even called a boardwalk! Again, though, I was able to avert disaster by moving out of the way with just seconds to spare.

As such, the newly enacted legislation regarding E-bike use could not be more welcome. The law states that E-bike riders in the Garden State must now have a driver’s license to operate one or obtain a motorized bicycle license if they do not have a valid driver’s license. Further, to get a motorized bicycle license, a rider must be at least 15 years old, pass written and visual tests, and complete a road test. Helmets are required. And E-bikes in New Jersey must be registered and, best of all, riders must carry liability insurance.

Thank you, former Governor Murphy! Given my two near-tragedy episodes involving E-bikes in the state, I am most grateful. Perhaps parents will think twice before gifting their children and teenagers E-bikes to ride recklessly throughout the towns of New Jersey now that there are licensing and insurance regulations. 

The law reflects the reality that E-bikes are indeed quite dangerous. E-bike accidents are occurring with increasing frequency as they gain in popularity, and there have been fatalities. Tragically, some of those who died as the result of E-bikes in 2025 were children. A 14-year-old boy from Egg Harbor Township was killed while riding an E-bike in the nearby town of Somers Point in July, and, in September, two 17-year-old girls died when a vehicle reportedly struck their E-bikes in Cranford. Make no mistake: these are not ordinary bicycles. E-bikes are closer to motorcycles than they are to bicycles and must be treated as such.

My third—and actually the scariest—encounter with an E-bike occurred this winter while I was staying in Florida. After shopping at a Target in a quiet strip mall in Bradenton, I headed along the sidewalk to the supermarket nearby for the next portion of my shopping. A young boy riding an E-bike came barreling down that sidewalk and came so close to me that I dropped my shopping bags and leapt behind a large trash can to get out of the way. Again, the rider did not stop to see if I was okay. He just continued at an unreasonably fast speed down the sidewalk. I shudder to think of the tragedy that could have happened had I been momentarily less reactive. And had it been someone else, perhaps someone older than I or someone with a disability or even a person who was momentarily not paying attention, there could have been a disaster that day in Bradenton.

After this third (and hopefully final!) episode, I looked into what the State of Florida might be doing with regard to E-bikes. I discovered that, fortunately, this January, the state legislature's House State Affairs Committee unanimously approved a bill (HB 243) that would increase regulations for E-bikes and E-scooters, particularly by prohibiting riders from exceeding ten miles per hour in the vicinity of a pedestrian. The bill, which was co-sponsored by Republican state representatives Yvette Benarroch and Omar Blanco, has received significant bipartisan support, and as Benarroch put it:

“Across Florida, families have lost loved ones, and young people have been seriously injured while using electronic bicycles...When lives are lost or permanently changed, the call to act is immediate.”

Then, earlier this month, the Florida House unanimously passed similar legislation that originated in the state Senate, which, like HB 243, stipulates that E-bikes cannot exceed a speed of ten miles per hour within fifty feet of a pedestrian. The bill, which also establishes a task force to monitor further E-bike safety, now heads to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature. Hopefully, it will become law and additional states will pursue similar policies to regulate the use of E-bikes, as they continue to increase in popularity. As for me, I certainly hope my most recent E-bike close call will be the last one. But thanks to Governor Murphy and legislators in both New Jersey and Florida, I am well on my way to feeling much safer in those two states.

Karen M. Prince taught in the Department of Elementary & Early Childhood Education at the College of New Jersey and served as the Assistant Chair of the department. She was a recipient of the college's Civility Award and holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Temple University in Philadelphia.