Why It Matters
Interior Department regulations currently exclude e-bikes from motorized vehicle definitions and allow their use on nonmotorized trails at managers' discretion. But the Forest Service classifies e-bikes as motor vehicles and prohibits them from nonmotorized areas unless specifically designated. This inconsistency raises questions about congressional intent and whether federal agencies are applying the statutory definition Congress provided in 2021 uniformly.
The Big Picture
In August 2019, the Interior Department issued Secretary's Order 3376 directing the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation to revise regulations and define e-bikes consistently with federal statute, explicitly exempting them from motorized vehicle definitions to increase recreational opportunities for all Americans.
All four Interior agencies responded by promulgating regulations that treat e-bikes as distinct from motorized vehicles, allowing their use in manners consistent with traditional bicycles on nonmotorized roads and trails, though with varying restrictions on Class II e-bikes, which can operate using motor power alone without pedaling.
The Forest Service took a markedly different approach in 2022, classifying e-bikes as motor vehicles and prohibiting them from nonmotorized trails and areas unless their use is specifically designated by the agency.
The Bottom Line
The National Park Service's regulatory path has proved most contentious. A district court in May 2022 ruled the agency had improperly used a categorical exclusion to bypass environmental review requirements, remanding the rule for additional analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act while leaving it in effect. The agency completed a programmatic environmental assessment in August 2024, but on September 1 proposed narrowing procedural safeguards, including limiting notice and comment requirements for designating e-bike usage on certain park roads and parking areas.
A study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration looking at the potential impacts of e-bikes on public lands found limited literature or experimental studies examining whether there were any meaningful differences in the ecological impact of e-bikes compared with traditional bicycles; e-bikes have raised safety concerns among consumer protection groups and legislators due in part to their high-speed capabilities; and given the high purchase and maintenance costs of e-bikes, personal e-bike ownership may be inaccessible to many individuals.
A study conducted by the Federal Highway Administration looking at the potential impacts of e-bikes on public lands found limited literature or experimental studies examining whether there were any meaningful differences in the ecological impact of e-bikes compared with traditional bicycles; e-bikes have raised safety concerns among consumer protection groups and legislators due in part to their high-speed capabilities; and given the high purchase and maintenance costs of e-bikes, personal e-bike ownership may be inaccessible to many individuals. The agency completed a programmatic environmental assessment in August 2024, but on September 1 proposed narrowing procedural safeguards, including limiting notice and comment requirements for designating e-bike usage on certain park roads and parking areas. A district court in May 2022 ruled the agency had improperly used a categorical exclusion to bypass environmental review requirements, remanding the rule for additional analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act while leaving it in effect.
The National Park Service's regulatory path has proved most contentious.
The Forest Service took a markedly different approach in 2022, classifying e-bikes as motor vehicles and prohibiting them from nonmotorized trails and areas unless their use is specifically designated by the agency.
All four Interior agencies responded by promulgating regulations that treat e-bikes as distinct from motorized vehicles, allowing their use in manners consistent with traditional bicycles on nonmotorized roads and trails, though with varying restrictions on Class II e-bikes, which can operate using motor power alone without pedaling.
In August 2019, the Interior Department issued Secretary's Order 3376 directing the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation to revise regulations and define e-bikes consistently with federal statute, explicitly exempting them from motorized vehicle definitions to increase recreational opportunities for all Americans.
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