Acadia National Park officials say they have some leeway in regulating so-called e-bikes following an Interior Department directive to treat them the same as regular bicycles.
Superintendent Kevin Schneider tells the Bangor Daily News the park has the authority to ban or restrict e-bikes to protect users and natural resources, or to balance other objectives.
Thus, it remains to be seen whether bikes with electric motors will be restricted on the park’s popular carriage roads.
David MacDonald, president of Friends of Acadia, said the Rockefeller family that donated the roads specified that there be no motorized vehicles.
But Matt Horton, a member of Acadia’s advisory commission, said the Rockefellers were opposed to combustion engines. He said those are much different than e-bikes.
The park has 30 days to propose rules.
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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangordailynews.com
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Information from: Bangor Daily News, http://www.bangordailynews.com
