Two-minute impact
The township's Chief Operating Officer Chris Nunes said the proliferation of e-bikes has grown steadily over the last four years, according to a risk assessment done by Halff Associates in May. The township banned the use of the vehicles on pathways in 2021.
"Over the last four years, we have seen a dramatic increase in some statistics that are in the report from Halff [Associates] where we see critical adoption of this technology by folks around the country and even in our community at large," Nunes said.
While the Texas Department of Transportation does not have historical crash data involving e-bikes due to their recent development as a mode of transport, the assessment identified several hotspots for pedestrian and bicycle crashes, including:
- Woodlands Parkway at FM 2978
- Kuykendahl Road at Research Forest Drive
- Woodlands Parkway at Panther Creek Drive
- Sawmill Road
What are the options?
Due to the growing use of e-bikes in The Woodlands, the primary recommendation presented by Halff Associates was to begin allowing the vehicles on township pathways while engaging in a comprehensive education and outreach program regarding e-bike usage and safety measures such as wearing helmets and obeying speed limits.
Under the plan, the township would allow limited use of e-bikes and scooters on certain pathways while still prohibiting other vehicles such as golf carts and motorized BMX bikes.
"We definitely see that we have to figure out how to get into schools one way or the other on the education," Nunes said.
Bret Strong, the township's legal counsel, also said enforcement of the ban on EMDs has historically been a difficult task for the township due to a lack of both staff and the authority to issue citations.
In their words
- "You're not going to stop this process," Strong said. "We need to do what's responsible as a township to make sure we're doing everything and educate people so that we try to limit the exposure of everyone involved with vehicles, riders and pedestrians."
- "We've got to look at this in a very, very detailed way," Bailey said. "All of us have seen the problem. All of us have probably experienced this problem, but this is a major public safety issue that we have to look at addressing."
- "Sometimes people think, 'Oh, it's just a little bicycle injury. It's not a big deal,' but some of these bicycle injuries are permanent," board member Shelley Sekula-Gibbs said. "Some of them are deadly, but a lot of them are permanent."
- "I think the problem is not going to go away. It's just not," board member Cindy Heiser said. "And honestly, the solution that I was thinking of really was more something that we can't do, but the county could, which was proper bike lanes [in The Woodlands]."
Both Nunes and township president and CEO Monique Sharp said they would bring letters before the board at the June 25 meeting which would be sent to Conroe, Magnolia and Tomball ISDs as well as to Montgomery County commissioners and the surrounding cities, regarding the need to create a unified approach to e-bike usage education and safety.
Board members said they will also potentially hold a public hearing opportunity on July 25 to get additional feedback from the community regarding changing the township's policy on e-bikes and similar devices.
"That culture of sharing the pathways is critical to making them safe and enjoyable for all residents, and the rise of higher speed electric vehicles on the pathways has changed the dynamics of how residents use them," said Patricia Monticello, president of the Bike The Woodlands coalition during the meeting. "Something has to change on our pathways as a community. We need to do more to keep each other safe and to share this amazing asset. These electric vehicles are not going away, and it seems prudent to adopt policies and practices that make specific recommendations for their safe use."
