VILLAS – A resident has complained to the Lower Township Council that operators of e-bikes, minibikes and dirt bikes are making the Clem Mulligan Sports Complex a scary place to be.

The complex, located off Mowery Avenue between Caroline and Bates avenues, reopened in April 2022 after a $2.6 million renovation. It has at times been the source of neighborhood complaints about everything from drivers parking on lawns to people drinking and smoking marijuana to juveniles being rude and obnoxious.

Gary Newton on June 16 thanked the council for changes made in the past that greatly improved the situation, adding, “Unfortunately, we are seeing the next generation, ages 13 to16, riding electric bikes, minibikes and small dirt bikes through the park. I also see more adults riding there.”

Newton said there are now a lot children playing in the park because the township cleaned up the property, but those riding motorized vehicles are winding in and out between people and racing toward the swing sets.

“They are flying by us doing 25 to 30mph in that park, doing wheelies, riding without helmets,” he said.

Newton said he is not against such vehicles, he said he rides a motorcycle and has an electric bike; however, he is concerned about the dangers from the young riders. He said when he calls the police they come out quickly, but claims the kids are somehow tipped off.

“The kids know they are coming and scoot off,” he said.

Mayor Frank Sippel said Township Manager Mike Laffey would reach out to the police and let them know what Newton had said.

“Maybe they can come up with a plan,” Sippel said. “The solicitor can also look into the law.”

Laffey, who spoke to the Herald while visiting family in North Carolina, said the governing body and the Police Department would work toward finding a solution.

Councilman Tom Conrad, whose ward includes Villas, said the council might have to consider banning the vehicles at all parks.

Wildwood

At a recent Wildwood Commission meeting, Commissioner Krista McConnell raised the issue of e-bikes on the boardwalk. Mayor Ernie Troiano replied that the city already had a ban on e-bikes on the boardwalk, and Deputy Mayor Steve Mikulski, the director of public safety, said the Police Department is telling riders to get off the boardwalk – and issuing citations if necessary.

Mikulski said the Police Department now has four e-bikes, which means the police can keep up with the e-bike riders, who can easily do 20 mph.

“We are implementing a program through the Police Department regarding e-bikes on the streets, and they are on the streets, there is no doubt about it,” he said. “I wish they would … they need to be regulated.”

Mikulski said that means registering the e-bike, having a permit or license, and requiring helmets.

Some see the regulation of e-bikes as possibly following regulations created for mopeds. A common understanding was that the genesis of the operator’s license requirement for mopeds was that individuals who lost their license, perhaps due to a drunk driving conviction, would simply buy a moped to get around.

According to the Moped Manual issued by the state Department of Transportation, a person “cannot receive or apply for a moped license if your driving privileges are revoked.”

“I guarantee you that is absolutely happening today (with e-bikes),” Mikulski said.

He said the Police Department knows that more and more people are driving e-bikes over the George Redding Bridge to go into Rio Grande, suggesting they are being used for transportation rather than their riders being out for fresh air and exercise.

Scott Chambers, owner of Zippy’s Bikes in Wildwood, said his customers generally range in age from 40 to 60. He said a good number of buyers are second home owners, some of whom use an e-bike as their sole mode of transportation. Chambers said that, given the dearth of parking on the island, it is easier to find a place to lock up an e-bike than to park a car.

“My wife and I went to the (Barefoot Country Music) festival, and we rode the e-bikes and locked them up,” he said.

There are three classes of e-bikes in New Jersey, which according to Chambers followed California law. The Class I e-bike is “pedal assisted,” meaning the electric mechanism is active only when the rider is pedaling. Class II is “throttle assisted,” meaning the rider does not have to pedal to ride the e-bike. Both the I and II have a maximum speed of 20 mph. The throttle assist helps the rider with acceleration.

The Class III is pedal-assisted with optional throttle and can reach speeds of 28 mph.

“It’s essentially an e-motorcycle,” Chambers said.

A lot of the Class IIIs can be programmed to operate as a Class I or II.

Chambers said there are other vehicles on the road with huge motors that actually defy classification.

New Jersey law recognizes the Class III e-bike and requires the operator be at least 15 years old and have an operator’s license. The e-bike is also subject to registration and insurance requirements. Chambers said e-bikes should be driven following the rules of the road, and are not to be lumped together with gas-powered minibikes and small dirt bikes, which are not normally street-legal.

He said the cost of e-bikes at Zippy’s begins at just over $1,000, with $2,500 being the sweet spot. He had one on the floor for $4,000. He said more than half of the e-bikes he sells are in the $1,500 to $2,000 range.

Chambers said e-bikes are essentially a better way to get around.

“You can go twice as far, twice as fast, and have twice the fun,” he said.

He said an adult riding to the market is not the problem, and neither is a family riding on the boardwalk during bicycle hours.

“Are you really going to throw a family off the boardwalk?” he asked.

Assemblyman Erik Simonsen said he has not yet heard any talk about regulating e-bikes at the state level, but understands that it might be coming.

Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.