City of New Albany
New Albany was built for this. The city boasts more than 84 miles of shared-use paths that weave through neighborhoods, parks and the Village Center, and the community values getting outside, staying active and connecting with neighbors along the way. Electric bikes and scooters are already showing up in greater numbers on those trails – and on the roads, the sidewalks and school campus.
With more riders comes more complexity. More speed differentials on shared paths. More questions about where different types of bikes are allowed and who’s old enough to ride them. And more urgency around the question of how we make this work for everyone.
E-bike evolution
Across the country, e-bike sales have surged, as riders of all ages discover a faster, greener, more accessible way to get around. The appeal is simple: all the fun of cycling with a little assistance when you need it.
The city’s extensive trail network, walkable Village Center and wellness culture make it ideal for this kind of transportation shift. Riding to a friend’s house, the farmers market or even work isn’t just possible here – it’s genuinely pleasant. For families especially, e-bikes and scooters have afforded older kids greater independence, as they can travel a little farther.
City of New Albany
Riding by the rules
Last October, New Albany City Council passed new legislation clarifying exactly how e-bikes and powered scooters fit into the city’s traffic code. The laws exist to ensure everyone – the cyclist, the jogger, the toddler on a tricycle and the dog walker – can share New Albany’s leisure trails safely and confidently. Here’s what every rider, parent and resident needs to know:
- E-bikes and powered scooters are now classified as vehicles (not motor vehicles). On sidewalks, vehicles must remain human-powered; motors are not permitted.
- 10 mph speed limit on shared-use paths, yield to pedestrians, use an audible signal before passing
- Helmets required for all riders under 18 years old
- Lights and reflectors required when riding before dawn or after dusk
- Class 3 e-bikes (faster models): riders must be 16 and older, wear a helmet and stay on the road – not permitted on shared-use paths
- Parents and guardians can be cited if their child under 18 violates these rules
A hard line on e-dirt bikes
Not every electric ride belongs on New Albany’s paths, and e-dirt bikes are the clearest example. Unlike e-bikes and powered scooters, e-dirt bikes are not street legal and are not permitted on New Albany streets, sidewalks or shared-use paths. Full stop.
If your family owns one, it belongs off-road and off New Albany’s shared community spaces. For parents who may have purchased one without realizing the restrictions, now is the time to have that conversation with your child – before the New Albany Police Department has it for you.
Stressing safety at school
City of New Albany
The City of New Albany isn’t just writing rules; it’s making sure young riders understand them. The NAPD partnered with New Albany-Plain Local Schools to deliver e-bike and e-scooter safety education directly to students, embedding it in the NAPLS wellness program through school resource officers who work alongside school staff.
“The City ordinance, as well as NAPLS policy, is intended to keep everyone safe,” says NAPD Officer L.A. Kelly. “Parents can encourage student compliance by being firm with their own in-house consequences, especially if their child has already received a warning from NAPD.”
By meeting students where they already are, in school and in the context of their overall health and wellness, safe riding becomes more second nature rather than an afterthought.
Ride on, New Albany
City of New Albany
New Albany’s trails and shared-use paths are among the community’s greatest assets, giving residents a reason to get outside and stay active year-round. Used responsibly, e-bikes and e-scooters enhance the experience, offering more ways to explore a community designed for it.
New Albany has always been a community in which neighbors look out for one another. That doesn’t stop at the leisure trail. Whether you’re on foot, on a bike or gliding on an e-scooter, the shared-use path is better when everyone on it feels safe and welcome.
For the full ordinance and details on e-bike and scooter rules in New Albany, visit newalbanyohio.org/e-bikes.
Melissa Braithwaite is a Communications & Marketing Specialist at the City of New Albany.
