WESTFIELD, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - Just last week, an e-bike rider pulled out in front of a car in Westfield and ended up seriously hurt. City leaders said that crash is exactly why they’re moving to rein in fast-moving e-bikes and scooters on sidewalks and the local rail trail.

Along the rail trail where people come to relax, but lately, they say it feels more like a racetrack. City leaders say some of these motorized bikes are hitting speeds that just don’t mix with strollers and dog walkers.

Just last week, an e-bike rider pulled out of a driveway on North Elm Street, directly into the path of an oncoming car. The driver tried to swerve but made contact. The rider was seriously hurt, and a citation was issued to the cyclist.

City leaders said it’s part of a growing problem — and they’re now working to do something about it. If you use this trail, or walk downtown with your kids, a new ordinance moving through city hall could directly change the rules, “they go pretty fast and they can be dangerous. There’s a lot of pedestrian incidents that are going on. So, we needed to take it collectively as a group and put together some rules and regulations to be followed,” said Westfield City Council President John Beltrandi.

Under the proposed ordinance e-bike riders on the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail would be capped at 15 miles per hour and required to actually pedal — not just use a throttle. The city is also tightened the definition of what counts as an e-bike, using Massachusetts state law as a guide. Under that definition a legal e-bike must have pedals, the rider must pedal, and the bike cannot exceed 20 miles per hour.

Officials said many vehicles being sold as e-bikes are actually closer to mopeds or electric motorcycles, “max 15, Yes. And that’s for safety purposes. You know what I mean? The motorized thing is the issue. The rail trail gets used by a lot of people, so safety is a big concern,” Beltrandi said.

The rules get even tougher downtown where all skateboards — electric or regular — would be banned from sidewalks entirely. Outside of downtown — regular skateboards would still be allowed on sidewalks, but electric skateboards would not. Western Mass News spoke with one Westfield resident who rides his bike on the Colombia Greenway Trail every day, he said he sees these electric bikes, scooters or skateboards about 12 times a day especially on the weekends, “they’re going way too fast on the bike trail. You know, as far as pedestrian wise and people riding regular bikes. People with their baby carriages and all that. One wrong move, you never know,” said Keith Wilkins.

Councilors said the goal isn’t to ban the bikes — but to make sure they aren’t being used as mopeds or motorcycles in pedestrian areas. Penalties for violations have not yet been set. The ordinance is not a done deal yet, the city council is expected to take up the second reading and a potential final vote at their next meeting —scheduled for June 4th. For people who use this trail every day, they said they’re hoping something changes — before someone else gets hurt.

Copyright 2026 Western Mass News (WGGB/WSHM). All rights reserved.