Ordinance Proposed as Dirt Bikes, Modified E-Bikes “Terrorize Neighborhoods” in Greenwich

By James Bonney and Leslie Yager

More teens than ever are riding e-bikes. For many families, they are an affordable, convenient way for young people get around town.

They offer independence and encourage kids to spend more time outdoors.

But as their popularity grows, so do concerns about safety to riders, as well as drivers and pedestrians.

Many riders are middle school or high school students who have never received formal instruction on traffic laws or safe riding practices.

They may not understand that e-bikes are expected to follow many of the same rules of the road as cars and trucks.

Running stop signs, riding against traffic, carrying passengers on a single-seat bike, or using headphones while riding are against the rules of the road.

Also, riders must yield to pedestrians and ride in the proper direction of traffic at safe and reasonable speeds.

E-bike riders must wear helmets, and riders on the more powerful e-bikes are required to have a driver’s license.

Sidewalk riding is also a point of frustration for many residents, as they are intended to provide a safe space for pedestrians, including children, seniors, parents pushing strollers, and people with disabilities.

And because e-bikes accelerate faster than traditional pedal bicycles, it can be difficult for motor vehicle drivers to judge their speed, particularly at busy intersections.

Last September principal Tom Healy banned e-bikes from the Central Middle School campus in Cos Cob following concerns about rider behavior and student safety. In a letter to families Healy said if a child showed up on an e-bike or e-scooter, parents would be called to come and retrieve the it.

When an e-bike becomes a motorcycle

Given owners often modify e-bikes to make them more powerful and exceed speed limits, they are re-reclassified as electric motorcycles.

Any e-bike with a motor exceeding 3,500 watts is classified as a motorcycle. Operating one requires a valid driver’s license, DMV registration, and proof of insurance

Last year the state updated e-bike laws and Greenwich Police spelled out key regulations.

 

Reckless E-bike Riders

Issues of reckless riding persist despite police education efforts and enforcement.

In local Facebook groups, residents vent about dangerous and illegal behavior.

“Please “F$#%!$’ing tell your kids with e-bikes on Pemberwick. F$#% you as parents. It’s my failure if I hit him?”

“We’ve seen kids weaving through traffic, riding without helmets, and treating sidewalks like roads,” one resident wrote online after describing a near collision.

“Ban them altogether…they are a hazard no matter who’s driving it…so low to the ground, they are easy to miss…Why are parents buying them? The risks can be fatal.”

“These bikes and electric scooters are BS and no one under the age of 16 should be on them, let alone more than one person. Dude a newly licensed driver has to wait 6 months before having a sibling in the vehicle. It’s effing insanity to give your kid one of these and not enforce a helmet. It’s really effed up that children are all over on these things with complete disregard for the rules of the road because duh they’re not old enough to drive a car yet so could they possibly know!”

---

Unlike traditional bicycles, many electric bikes are capable of reaching speeds between 20 and 28 miles per hour, with some modified models traveling even faster. At those speeds, riders have far less time to react to obstacles, vehicles, or pedestrians. The added weight of an e-bike also means collisions can cause significantly greater injuries than a conventional bicycle.

In June, two juveniles in Fairfield were hospitalized after the e-bike they were sharing struck a curb, throwing both riders. Fortunately, both suffered only minor injuries.

Just months earlier, a 15-year-old riding an e-scooter without a helmet was struck by a vehicle in Fairfield and suffered minor injuries.

 

In Connecticut, Public Act 25-80, – AN ACT CONCERNING THE ILLEGAL USE OF CERTAIN VEHICLES AND STREET TAKEOVERS – went into effect in June 2025.

The law authorizes municipalities to adopt ordinances regulating the operation of certain vehicles and allows penalties of up to $1,000 for a first violation, $1,500 for a second violation, and $2,000 for subsequent violations. The law also allows municipalities to seize and, under certain circumstances, permanently forfeit vehicles used in violation of those ordinances.

At the July 23 Board of Selectmen meeting, GPD Captain Patrick Smyth proposed a draft ordinance (see pages 24-26) for Greenwich.

While street takeovers have not been an issue in Greenwich, other towns and cities have seen illegal drag racing, stunt driving and large unauthorized gatherings.

Greenwich is trying to get ahead of a possible “displacement effect” resulting from neighboring jurisdictions instituting new ordinances.

Captain Smyth said while some of these vehicles are legal to operate on the roads, issuing a ticket is not always a disincentive to change reckless riding.

“This gives us the ability to seize their vehicles – whether it’s a dirt bike, motorcycle or ATV – and either sell it or destroy it,” he told the Selectmen. “When you take their vehicle – and they’re putting their money into this because they want it to be modified, that will discourage them.”

“I’ve gone into underground parking lots – the CVS one on West Putnam Ave comes to mind, there are almost gang-like things going on – not with what is listed (in the proposed ordinance),” said Selectwoman Lauren Rabin.

Captain Smyth suggested she contact the police next time.

“Some of these electric bikes actually cross over from being a bicycle into being a motorcycle, which makes them illegal for most of them to have,” Smyth said.

This past Friday, Housing Authority board chair, Sam Romeo, called the First Selectman’s radio show to express support for the ordinance.

“They’re terrorizing neighborhoods and they’ve been a big problem down at Armstrong Court,” Mr. Romeo said.

“It’s not just street takeovers. It’s also the behavior of some of the kids on these bikes. I’ve had people tell me about issues in Cos Cob by the post office,” Camillo replied.

“We’ve had issues down in Old Greenwich on Sound Beach, and as you heard from Sam we’ve had issues over in Armstrong Court. It’s east, west and central – all over,” Camillo added.

The second read and anticipated vote on the ordinance at their Aug 13 meeting.

---

See also:

Governor Lamont Signs Legislation Cracking Down on Street Takeovers

Town of Greenwich E-Bike Laws