Upper Providence Township officials are facing growing concerns about dangerous riding behavior by young e-bike and e-scooter users — a problem local officials say is becoming increasingly common across Montgomery County.
During public comment at Monday’s board of supervisors meeting, Kristin Troutman of Black Rock Road described a series of near-miss incidents she said she has personally witnessed over the past six to seven months.
She recalled seeing a boy on a scooter shoot out from Golf Club Drive into traffic without stopping, a dirt bike rider blow through a crosswalk without activating the pedestrian warning lights, and two children wearing dark clothing ride in front of her car at night — visible only because oncoming headlights briefly illuminated their silhouettes.
She urged township officials to take safety education directly into local schools.
“Even if you reach one kid, that would be one kid who's not being scraped up off the road,” Troutman told the board, adding that if the behavior continues, “it’s just a matter of time.”
Police Chief Discusses Enforcement, Outreach Challenges
Later in the meeting, Board Chair Kelly Stevens asked Upper Providence Police Chief Mark Freeman to provide an update on the township’s efforts related to e-bike and e-scooter safety enforcement and education.
Freeman said the issue is widespread across Montgomery County, noting that county commissioners had approached the Chiefs Association after accidents occurred on local trails. He added that Upper Providence has experienced its own incidents as well.
The chief said the department previously attempted to organize a community safety seminar, but only two people responded, making it difficult to justify the overtime costs needed to staff the event. The seminar was intended to include firsthand accounts from crash victims, including a young person who was significantly injured in the township after riding into a roadway.
Freeman said the department is now exploring school-based outreach efforts, potentially including an assembly or distributing safety literature to students.
On the enforcement side, Freeman said officers typically try to work through parents when they are able to identify riders. He added that many parents purchase e-bikes and scooters “without the knowledge of what the rules are associated with them.”
When parents respond responsibly — such as by taking away the e-bike or e-scooter from their child — police have generally deferred to them. However, Freeman said that if parents are unresponsive, holding them accountable can become necessary.
“There are good kids out there. They just don't know,” the chief said, adding that young riders sometimes flee when officers attempt to stop them — a reaction that can create additional danger and one the department does not want to encourage.
"We don't want that action to be the cause of them getting injured," Freeman said. "It's a very difficult situation to be in, but we are trying."
According to a report from WFMZ, Pennsylvania laws and regulations prohibit riders under the age of 16 from operating e-bikes on roadways, and e-bikes cannot exceed 20 miles per hour.
For e-scooters, Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1008 — known as “Abby’s Law” — was introduced last year by Tim Kearney. 6ABC reported that the proposal would regulate e-scooters by establishing a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour and prohibiting riders under the age of 16 from operating them.
This article was generated with AI assistance. All content was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by John McGuire.
