Productivity Commission Calls for Consideration of Higher e-Bike Speeds

The Rad Power RadRover 5 is one of the fastest budget-priced e-bikes on the market.

Sydney, NSW A NSW Productivity Commission report has advocated a review of e-bike speeds, current power limits for cargo bikes and the State’s ban on electric scooters, saying relaxing these regulations could bring substantial benefits. The Regulating Emerging Technologies report, released in November, focuses on personal mobility devices, e-bikes and drones, and says they “have the…

Tasmania Legalises E-scooters

e-Scooters have been legalised in Tasmania in time for summer.

Hobart, Tasmania e-Scooters have been legalised in Tasmania after the State parliament amended Tasmania’s Traffic Act last month. The Government delivered on its election commitment to allow privately-owned and share scheme scooters on shared paths and selected local roads. “I’m very pleased to report that e-scooters will be hitting our streets this summer, providing a…

Auckland Parking Strategy Proposes More Space for Active Transport

City of Auckland’s draft 2022 Parking Strategy says the highest priority for the allocation of kerbside road space should be given to safety and strategic transport networks, such as public transport and cycling, rather than car parking.

Auckland, New Zealand Auckland residents will be invited to comment on a new parking strategy that would give micromobility and public transport priority over parking in the allocation of space along the city’s arterial roads. City of Auckland councillors last month endorsed several objectives and principals underpinning the draft 2022 Parking Strategy, which sought to…

E-Bike Incentives Promised in Build Back Better Bill

If the Build Back Better Bill becomes law in its current form, US employees could take advantage of nearly $1,000 (A$1,410) a year pre-tax for biking to work.

Washington, USA Financial assistance to buy e-bikes and to commute by bike have been included in the US Government’s Build Back Better (BBB) Bill, which was passed by the country’s lower house of parliament last month and includes a range of measures to address social services, welfare, infrastructure, climate change and the impact of COVID-19.…

Paris Scooter Speeds Reduced to Address Accidents

The City of Paris initially reduced speed limits for e-scooters at a dozen locations with high levels of pedestrian traffic but has now extended the speed crackdown to virtually all of the city.

Paris, France Share scooters in Paris are being restricted to 10 km/h for all but a few streets, in response to a large number of pedestrian injuries involving electric scooters. Paris has been an important market for scooter sharing companies and the three that received permits to operate in the city have done extremely well…

UK E-Bike Uptake Could Skyrocket With Further Incentives

The Fully Charged report is the first study to quantity the benefits e-bikes could bring to the UK if transport authorities further implemented initiatives such as financial incentives, promotional campaigns, improved infrastructure and shared e-bike schemes.

Leeds, UK The economic and quality-of-life benefits of the UK’s e-bike boom could be more than quadrupled through a series of initiatives to further encourage cycling, according to a recent study for a peak UK transport group. The Fully Charged study, commissioned by the Urban Transport Group (UTG) and prepared by consultancy Steer, is the…

Slower Roads Saving NZ Lives

Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand A long-term evaluation of lower speed limits in the Auckland region of NZ has found both fatalities and injuries have declined on the slower roads. Deaths have continued to rise on roads where there are no speed reductions. The Auckland region introduced lower speed limits on 700km of selected urban and rural…

ACT Targeting ‘Drink Riding’

ACT is focuing on drink riding in a new bill being considered before parliament

Canberra, ACT It’s two years since e-scooters were legalised in the ACT and that territory is looking to introduce new penalties for using them while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. On December 1, the ACT Minister for Transport and City Services, Chris Steel, announced the Road Transport Legislation Amendment Bill No. 2,…

Cycling’s $6.3 Billion Injection to Australian Economy

We Ride Australia Cycling Economy Report 2021

Canberra, ACT Australia’s cycling industry directly contributed $3.4 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2020 and had a total direct industry output of $6.3 billion for the year, according to an Australian-first report spearheaded by the We Ride Australia cycling advocacy group and released last month. The We Ride Australian Cycling Economy…

Pro Micromobility Mayors Win Elections

Mayor Eric Adams

Montreal, Canada The following article was first published by The Guardian on Friday 29th October. Since then, there have been several more key mayoral election results that the original article could only speculate upon. Therefore, at the end of this article, I’ve added an update that includes more very recent ‘pro-micromobility’ mayoral victories. Every politician…