Sep 8, 2025 By Jon Andreassi 4 min read

Last month Canonsburg police issued a plea through its Facebook page for residents, mainly teenagers, to follow the rules of the road while riding electric bikes.

The post declared the department was cracking down on “reckless behavior” by e-bike riders that included weaving in and out of traffic, “popping wheelies,” and riding away from police officers.

Police Chief Alex Coghill suggested their efforts to curb these types of complaints have been successful.

“The kids we did catch, and we brought their parents in, they have been very cooperative,” Coghill said.

E-bikes are a class of “micromobility” vehicles that have their own specific rules under Pennsylvania law.

Coghill said the department’s main concern came from teenagers using the bikes.

“Thirteen to 16 year olds riding them at all out speed, no helmets … Thinking they’re not a vehicle and they can do whatever they want on the road,” Coghill said.

Canonsburg police posted this image last month of a local youth popping a wheelie while on an e-bike on a borough roadway.

According to the state Department of Transportation, an e-bike is mainly operated by pedals and assisted by an electric motor no more than 750 watts. The motor alone is not capable of propelling the bike faster than 20 mph.

“Pretty much anything over that is going to be a scooter-type class or a motorcycle-type class,” Coghill said.

There are also “motorized pedalcycles,” which are bikes with pedals, but also a gas motor that allows for speeds of up to 25 mph. Per PennDOT, these vehicles require a class-C license, and must be registered and insured.

E-bikes do not share the license, registration or insurance requirements, but riders must be at least 16 years old.

Coghill cautioned that if teenagers are going to be on the road on an e-bike, they must follow the laws.

“They have to understand, they’re a vehicle. It causes other drivers to take evasive action,” Coghill said.

Tom Kolencik, public information officer for Uniontown police, says that there has been a “slight increase” in e-bike usage, but it has not caused any major issues in the city.

There have been instances where the officers have had to warn a local teenager or talk to their parents.

“For the most part, everyone has been very cooperative with it,” Kolencik said.

According to Kolencik, the primary concern is the bike riders being visible to other drivers.

“There is not a lot of visibility on a small bike like that,” Kolencik said.

Another vehicle in the “micromobility” category is the electric scooter, or e-scooter.

In Connellsville, e-scooters have overtaken e-bikes as an issue for police, according to Connellsville police Sgt. Bryan Kendi.

E-scooters are unique among micromobility vehicles as riders can only use them on private property. They are not street legal in any fashion.

“The scooters are completely illegal,” Kendi said. “People don’t seem to know that, or care, and that’s our biggest problem.

Like a regular scooter powered only by the rider’s foot pushing along the ground, e-scooters are meant to be stood on by a single rider, but the handle bar has an accelerator.

E-bikes are still prevalent on the city’s trails, but not so much on the roadways in Connellsville.

“Once you get in the residential neighborhoods of Connellsville itself, they have kind of given way to the e-scooters,” Kendi said.

Kendi said that there have been “several” accidents involving e-scooters, including at least one in the last month or so. He added the rider was “fortunate” to not suffer a serious injury.

“That would be devastating. However, (it’s) many thousands of pounds of vehicle, essentially, versus a pedestrian,” Kendi said. “It was just kind of a furtherance of the point that these should not be on the roadway.”

According to Cogill, there were “a lot of close calls” but no accidents involving e-bikes. He noted that as fun as the e-bikes may be for local teenagers, there is also a lot of risk.

“It can be extremely dangerous. We want everyone to have fun, but we want them to do it safely,” Coghill said.