King County begins campaign to slow e-bikes on trails
King County Parks wants people riding its trails to slow down and enjoy the ride - and keep the speed to the streets.
Following a new state law regulating the use of electric bikes and e-motorcycles, the county is beginning a public awareness campaign to ward off high-speed trail users, especially those on unauthorized motorized vehicles capable of reaching speeds well above 30 mph.
Two King County deputies will be riding their bikes on the county's most popular trails - like the East Lake Sammamish, Burke-Gilman and Sammamish River trails - and pulling people over who are riding mopeds, ATVs, motorcycles and electric motorcycles, which are referred to as e-motos.
In the short term, they will be focused on education and encouraging safer behavior, said Warren Jimenez, the county parks director. Warnings may turn into fines someday, but Jimenez would not say when.
We see this as an opportunity to build awareness on this important issue and keep our commitments to keep our trails safe and accessible for all," Jimenez said. "On citations, that will come in time. … That's the hope of the campaign, that we won't necessarily have to go there."
King County approved the use of certain types of e-bikes on its 185 miles of trails in 2024, but its rules align with state law barring the fastest vehicles and speed is limited to 15 mph. Snohomish County doesn't have rules of its own, but also adheres to the state prohibition keeping speeds low on its 100 miles of trails.
Jimenez said the awareness campaign came about because of the growing use of fast vehicles on trails and community concerns.
As Jimenez suggested, e-bikes and e-motos have proliferated in recent years and are commonly ridden on area trails. The vehicles are seen by some as a way to drive less, and others as a high-speed toy. Their use has widened the reach of cyclists, no longer slowed by distance or hill climbing. But their ubiquity has frustrated some, and poses a risk largely due to their weight and speed, which vary widely among vehicle types.
Their growing use and potential for danger led, in part, to a state law that went into effect June 11, attempting to make a clear distinction between e-bikes and e-motos.
In short, e-bikes have less power and go slower than e-motos. At their fastest, e-bikes can go 28 mph, but the riders must pedal to reach that speed.
E-motos, on the other hand, are more akin to motorcycles. They often come without pedals, and are much more powerful than e-bikes, capable of reaching upward of 50 mph, no pedaling necessary.
State law now recognizes the difference between the two, but it also sought to regulate speed.
E-bikes that can go 28 mph with the use of pedals are still legal to use - but only on the street. Anything that goes faster than 28 mph, or uses a throttle to go above 20 mph, is considered a motorcycle and requires a valid driver's license.
It's all a bit confusing, but like other knotty legal issues, you know it when you see it. At least that's what the county hopes, with its plan to persuade people to slow down with simple warnings.
If the initial education and warning period doesn't do much to change behavior, however, deputies will start writing tickets. Fines will start at $52 for people going 16 to 25 mph, and jump to $125 for speeds 26 mph and over, or if deputies consider the speed too fast for conditions, regardless of the recorded speed.
Jimenez, with the county, said everyone who breaks the rules will get a warning, but only adults would receive citations, if it comes to that.
Lee Lambert, executive director of Cascade Bicycle Club and its lobbying arm WA Bikes, helped push lawmakers to adopt the state law classifying the vehicles. Now, Lambert and WA Bikes are working with the state to form recommendations about that very subject - sanctions for breaking state e-bike and e-moto rules, and whether parents should be financially responsible for children riding e-bikes or e-motos - with an eye toward the 2027 legislative session.
"I have talked to parents who bought (an e-moto) for their kids legit, thinking this was an e-bike and came home and saw their kid going 40 mph," Lambert said. "It went on Craigslist right away."
Despite his concerns over e-motos, Lambert said the county campaign should focus on rider behavior, not what they're riding.
"As a practical matter for this enforcement campaign, they're going to have a heck of a time" if they're only looking at vehicle type, he said. "I would encourage them to focus on behavior.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 6:40 AM.