Bicycles in Hackettstown
Has any else noticed all these electric bikes riding on the sidewalks?I was almost ran over by one the size of a small motorcycle driven by a kid to small to handle it.I thought bikes were supposed to follow the same laws as a car.I don'r know why they don't ride on the side streets where there is room to ride on the edge of the road and not where people sre trying to walk.
Boomer 50 Worldwide problem....
Funny when I was a kid we needed a license, registration and insurance for a slow moped...
Now a ton of kids and adults riding ebikes wherever they want, however they want... with traffic, against traffic, on roads, on sidewalks... through crowds....
I haven't looked up the regulation, if there is any... but as far as I'm concerned- they are motorized vehicles and should have to abide by all the same rules as a motorcycle, including age / license / insurance / helmet- as well as operation behavior.
Don't like that? Get a normal bike and pedal...
Josh Aren't bicycles supposed to ride on the streets not the sidewalk? There's even a bicycle lane on Main Street in town.
Navy Vet I'm kind of glad to see this thread. Over the years my wife and I have lived in six different towns across three different states, and Hackettstown is the only place we've encountered people riding bikes on the sidewalk. We were quite surprised by it when we first moved here, and have always wondered if there was just some kind of weird ordinance that made it be so. Like, for an extreme example, I know in my home town there's still a leftover ordinance on the books that says the streets inside the city limits are for horses only; no automobiles allowed.
Monty a lot of very young kids on electric bikes riding down the center of the road .sometimes two up. The bikes top out at 30 mph. This is a accident waiting to happen.
mel If left unchecked these electric bikes will turn into dirt bikes and 4-wheelers. Then before you know it we are Philadelphia.
SkipperI am glad to see that I'm not the only one concerned about this. Sadly it's a problem in most towns. And it's not only e-bikes, it's regular bikes, scooters and even motorized bikes, small mini bikes and motorcycles. I was almost run into coming out of Jack's Scissor Wis by a bike. I even had a kid coming down the sidewalk on Main and just shoot right across as I was turning into Valentine St. If I had hit them guess who would be at fault! What needs to be done is that there should be a class in school to advise or teach the kids the proper way to ride bikes around town. There should also be something for adults as well. I understand that riding on main street is almost like taking you life in your hands as cars and trucks can get too close. There needs to be a happy medium.
Just the other day I was sitting out side and two kids on a bike came down the street and didn't stop and just went out in the cross street. I yelled STOP. They actually heard me and came back to see what I was yelling about. I explained that in the eyes of the law, they are a vehicle and need to obey traffic laws and stop at intersections. They said they didn't know that and actually thanked me for the information.
Mr4Paws 
CBGB Good topic!
The nicest thing this town has ever done is create a park in a scenic wetlands area along the Musconetcong river......One of these days an electric bike/scooter will run down an elderly resident on a walker there. Before it happens, we should just install bike racks on both sides of the park. A sign stating "pathways for walkers/joggers only".
Lately, there are a few dirtbags leaving their poop bags on the paths. If you catch one in the act, throw it back at them.
Tom I read the Hackettstown Public Safety notice but it does not state anything about bicycles on sidewalk.
Honda 750 One almost hit my car as I was backing out of my driveway. I'm looking for pedestrian and car traffic, not speeding E-bikes. Being the town ordinance does not allow E-bikes on the sidewalks am I liable if they hit me?
Concerned for all. Just yesterday I almost hit two young girls on bikes at the corner of Valentine and Jefferson. They were coming down Jefferson and didn't look, didn't stop, just came out in front of me and down to Beatty St. If we had collided, who is at fault? Guess I need to get a dash cam and start recording, then turn over the video to the police. Maybe then something will get done about it.
Valentine Street is like a racetrack and a lot of cars use Jefferson to avoid the turn onto Beatty. A number of cars do no stop at the stop sign on Jefferson. It's just a matter of time before there is a serious accident.
Many towns, Hackettstown included as far as I know, do not have anything on the books about bikes or ebikes on sidewalks
For NJ as a whole:
Can I ride a bike on the sidewalk?
While riding a bicycle on a sidewalk is not prohibited by New Jersey statutes, some municipalities have passed ordinances prohibiting bicycle traffic on certain sidewalks. This prohibition is usually posted. It should be noted, that sidewalks are for pedestrians. Riding on sidewalks can cause conflicts with pedestrians and, like wrong way riding, can lead to crashes since it places bicyclists in situations where others do not expect them. Except for very young cyclists under parental supervision, sidewalks are not for bicycling.
I am glad that other people have noticed this...I live in a neighborhood and there are kids, often 2-3 per bike, that go flying by...No helmets, no regard for others. Since they are electric, you can't really hear them and you aren't looking for them while driving. Sadly, it will take a terrible accident before the laws catch up to this latest phenomenon. One evening over the Memorial Day weekend, I counted a dozen or more in just a little over an hour that went past my my house, mostly kids but a few adults sprinkled in. Now I understand what NYC has been complaining about, it's a shame it's out here now.
Melba Had three abreast on county road marked at 35, going 30, no helmets.
Need law, license, plate, and helmet please. These are motorized vehicles. Same law as cycles. And get them off rhe sidewalks.
Babbit On a positive note, the other day I saw a Hackettstown Police Officer giving a talking to four youths on Bikes. Then just yesterday I saw the sane group of kids coming down the street mostly on the proper side and one even used the correct hand signal to make a right hand turn. It's a start. Sadly getting the bikes off the sidewalk will be more difficult. Main Street can be difficult for the trucks and cars then add bikes!
Main street is just a few blocks...The sidewalks are for shoppers to walk on. Walk your bike or ride on the road.
Teach your kids respect.....As for the adults whipping around the sidewalks....
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