A blur of a man riding an e-bike in the bike lane on North Street in Pittsfield.

NORTH ADAMS — The city is drafting new regulations for electric bikes and could impose new penalties for unsafe riding as officials look to address safety concerns and keep pace with their growing use.

Councilor Bryan Sapienza presented a draft ordinance to the City Council earlier this month with revisions to the streets and sidewalks ordinance for wheeled vehicles on public ways. Now, it is making its way through the traffic and public safety committees for further input before coming back to council later this year.

The current ordinance being addressed relates to bicycle riding, roller skating, in-line skating and skateboarding on sidewalks and in the city’s business district. Sapienza said that upon reviewing the current ordinance, it said bicycles should not be on the sidewalk and found antiquated language, such as a section prohibiting the use of wheelbarrows on sidewalks.

“I find that with new technology, it is time to update our ordinances and introduce penalties for violation,” Sapienza said at the meeting. “The purpose of this ordinance is not to restrict residents riding such vehicles but to enforce safe operations.”

The revised language adds e-bikes to the list of prohibited wheeled vehicles on sidewalks and defines classifications for electric bicycles. Class 1 e-bikes provide pedal-assist up to 20 mph, while Class 2 e-bikes include a throttle and can operate without pedaling, also up to 20 mph. The ordinance also distinguishes these from mobility devices under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

E-bikes have become increasingly common on Berkshire County roads, sidewalks and trails and also bring new safety concerns. Police departments say they are fielding more complaints about dangerous riding and struggling to enforce laws that many officials believe have not kept pace with the technology.

A couple ride e-bikes on Main Street in Williamstown. An electric bicycle — more commonly referred to as an e-bike — is a bicycle equipped with an electric motor that can help assist with or replace pedaling.

The proposal also clarifies that the restrictions would not apply to “minor children unable to safely ride on public streets.”

Sapienza noted that riding wheeled vehicles, including e-bikes, in crosswalks is already prohibited. A new provision would also ban riding wheeled vehicles in the downtown during designated special events, when roads are closed to traffic; any such device must be dismounted and walked, except mobility devices.

The ordinance introduces new penalties, including fines and possible 24- to 48-hour vehicle impoundment for violations.

He and other councilors say they have received consistent complaints from residents about unsafe use of e-bikes, specifically in pedestrian areas like crosswalks, sidewalks and when driving and walking around downtown Main Street.

“I think a lot of us agree, it's a potential disaster waiting to happen,” said Councilor Andrew Fitch. “Thank you for doing something about it.”

Councilor Lillian Zavatsky uses an e-bike to get around the city as much as possible. While she supported the effort to increase safety, she said there were a few instances, giving her ride to Walmart on Route 8A as an example, where she sees no other option but to get on the sidewalk.

“The cars go really fast, there's no shoulder and a lot of turns,” she said. “While I don't make a habit of riding on sidewalks, that's an example of one where I think my safety as a cyclist is impaired if I'm on the road.”

At last week’s Traffic Commission meeting, its members shared stories of near-collisions with e-bikes weaving between sidewalks and roadways and their fears someone could eventually be seriously injured or killed.

Commission Chair Mary Ann King recommended the group have more time to review the ordinance to give recommendations. The commission will return and share more of its thoughts at its Aug. 12 meeting.

The ordinance is set for review at the Public Safety Committee’s next meeting, though a date has not yet been set.

The ordinance and recommendations from the committee are set to return to the City Council during its first meeting in September.

Meanwhile, officials are watching the new e-bike rules proposed by Gov. Maura Healey, which her office described as a “first-in-the-nation, speed-based framework.”

A man rides an e-bike along Union Street in North Adams.

The bill would restrict higher-speed devices in certain areas, ban speed-enhancing modifications and expand enforcement authority.

Enforcement was the biggest question mark for Councilor Keith Bona. While he appreciated the changes and the sentiment of updating the ordinance, he compared this regulation to that of littering.

Just like people rarely receive tickets for littering, he was not convinced that the enforcement of any bikes on sidewalks would increase because of e-bikes.

“We can write the laws all we want, but unless they are enforced, they mean very little,” Bona said.