Really what PSAC wanted to do is keep these devices away from our historic downtown.”

Hastings Police Chief Dave Wilske

In Hastings, e-bikes are not allowed on city sidewalks and are limited to 15 miles per hour on park property or city trails.

Whizzing electronic bikes and scooters are an increasingly common sight for Hastings residents.
On trails, sidewalks, bike paths and even roads, electronic bikes, or e-bikes, can generally speed up to 30 miles per hour, which has led to greater scrutiny about who can ride them, where they can be ridden, and what rules they should follow.
Last month, the Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) unanimously voted for the city to revisit the definitions of micromobility vehicles within City Ordinance 70.09B after the topic was recommended to them by the city council in March.
It was a concern expressed by not only the members of PSAC, but from Tom Walt, a resident who spoke before the city council on Aug. 4.
“Right now, there is a growing problem that we have when you can go out from Walmart or Amazon and buy an e-scooter, or e-motorcycle or e-bike that will do 28 miles per hour out of the box,” said Walt.
E-bikes’ proliferation in Minnesota is in part, structural.
Since 2024, the state has offered rebates on the purchase of e-bikes, with $2 million set aside in 2025. Participants were recently notified from a statewide lottery which qualified them for up to $750 off the cost of a new e-bike.
“This market is really exploding,” said Hastings Police Chief Dave Wilske.
In Hastings, better defining what exactly is an e-bike can be difficult.
E-bikes fall into the category of micromobility transportation. That definition, according to the state, encompasses a broad swath of transportation that is fewer than 500 pounds, goes less than 30 miles per hour, and is powered by human power or a number of rechargeable batteries of fuel cells.
This category includes anything from scooters to skateboards to segways to hover boards to yes, e-bikes.
Given that definition, what are the rules for e-bikes?
Currently, Minnesota treats e-bikes the same as bicycles, meaning you don’t need a license to drive one and they can be ridden on bike paths, sidewalks and streets wherever a bike could legally.
A distinction, however, is that riders must be at least 15 years of age to ride an e-bike.
In Hastings, e-bikes are not allowed on city sidewalks and are limited to 15 miles per hour on park property or city trails.
While riding at night, a white light is required at the front of the vehicle and a red reflector is required at the rear.
Given those rules and definitions, PSAC provided various changes to Hastings Micromobility ordinance.
PSAC recommended separating out bicycles and e-bikes from the city’s micromobility ordinance in order to create separate, specific language for each.
In addition, PSAC sought to ban the use of micromobility transportation downtown, similar to the banning of skateboards and rollerblades in the area.
“Really what PSAC wanted to do is keep these devices away from our historic downtown,” said Wilske.
Education about e-bikes, especially the age limit of 15 for children, was central to the message surrounding the ordinance change.
Many don’t know about age restrictions nor where it is legal to ride e-bikes so getting the word out about the law, especially as e-bikes become more common, is important.
“That has really been our focus in the last six months,” said Wilske.