Electric bike repercussions | GTAMotorcycle.com

Electric bike repercussions

puttockc

puttockc

Well-known member
I was looking at an electric bike parked outside roots@eaton center today and wondering... What sort of repercussions do these people see

If we break the law, we get hit with fines they attach to us via our licenses and plates. They have neither. So minor things like parking tickets and speeding are harder to prosecute.

I wonder if cops think it's not worth the time or effort to keep these things under control? I've seen them running red lights, obviously drunk, driving on sidewalks and roads. Parked like motorcycles, bicycles and just left anywhere they feel like. What's the repercussion if you leave one parked at the front doors to eaton center? Or in the middle of dundas square? In a no parking zone?


Just thinking out loud
Planning on breaking out the bike next week finally

Take care everyone


Sent from my my mobile using a strange app for damaged people
 
The consequences applies to everyone, if you don't have a driver's license... police generate one for you. So if you decide to get a DL down the road, everything you've done will get transferred over.

Also if you fail to pay HTA fines, GTA cities have passed laws that allow them to recover the fines through your property taxes: http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...icket_may_show_up_on_your_property_taxes.html

_________________________


w.r.t. parking, i worked out of a Mississauga Condo; we had a bike that was chained to one of our trees on our property on a Friday; Superintendent cut the chain, and put the bike into our underground storage; biker had to come back Monday morning and ask management for his bike back; he had to pay $20/day storage fees as well. The storage fees were not made up, it was written into the condo's by-laws a few years back.
 
Well what about parking that's a great resolution On private property! I'm still not sure bout public an police hi


Sent from my my mobile using a strange app for damaged people
 
For all intents and purposes eBikes are treated like bicycles, when it comes to things like parking.
 
I would add that an e-bike falls under the def'n of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code, so if a driver were prohibited from driving due to a criminal conviction ie. impaired operation, they could be charged for driving while disqualified for operating an e-bike.
 
Bike Cop said:
I would add that an e-bike falls under the def'n of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code, so if a driver were prohibited from driving due to a criminal conviction ie. impaired operation, they could be charged for driving while disqualified for operating an e-bike.
Click to expand...

Interesting


Sent from my my mobile using a strange app for damaged people
 
Bike Cop said:
I would add that an e-bike falls under the def'n of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code, so if a driver were prohibited from driving due to a criminal conviction ie. impaired operation, they could be charged for driving while disqualified for operating an e-bike.
Click to expand...

Are e-bikes allowed to use trails marked "No motorized vehicles"?
 
nobbie48 said:
Are e-bikes allowed to use trails marked "No motorized vehicles"?
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That would depend. Trails and the non motorized use thereof, are covered under a municipal bylaw. They would only be prohibited IF the bylaw defines them as a motorized vehicle. Given that these bylaws are rearely updated I doubt e bikes were even a thought when the most of the bylaws were written
 
hedo2002 said:
That would depend. Trails and the non motorized use thereof, are covered under a municipal bylaw. They would only be prohibited IF the bylaw defines them as a motorized vehicle. Given that these bylaws are rearely updated I doubt e bikes were even a thought when the most of the bylaws were written
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I mostly agree with hedo2002's post. Trails = bylaw and therefore municipal. While the bylaws may not be updated regularly, I would also bet money that the courts would consider e-bikes motorized. If someone were to be charged under this bylaw, they could possibly win on a technicality, but would most likely still be charged and wind up pushing the e-bike back to the roadway.
 
Specific information, related to the Toronto Bylaws:

http://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/79/101000051179.html

Electric bicycles are classified as "motorized recreational vehicles" under Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 608. Therefore, they are NOT permitted on bike paths or foot paths in City of Toronto Parks.
They are only permitted in parks that allow vehicular traffic, excluding service roads and areas posted prohibiting public vehicular access.


Motorized vehicles (including e-bikes) may not be used on park multi-use paths. If a motorized vehicle is used on a park path, the rider/driver may be fined $305.00 by bylaw enforcement officers. The Waterfront Multi-Use path, Don Valley & Humber Multi-use paths, are all considered parklands. The new railpath & Hydro corridor trails are considered linear parks.


Toronto Municipal Code - Chapter 608 - Parks (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter to prohibit and regulate activities in City parks)(see definition of "Motorized Recreational Vehicle" at beginning of bylaw, also 608-30)

If you wish to file a complaint about an e-bike in a City of Toronto multi-use path, please contact Municipal Licensing & Standards Waste & Parks Bylaw Enforcement.
 
Thanks Rob GREAT info. Toronto is one of the few municipalities, (likely due to the size of council and the environmentalist groups), that update their bylaws. Most haven't updated theirs to include these ebikes yet. I expect as Bike cop said if an ebike were found on a trail designated as non motorized they would get charged and have to fight it in court. Which IMHO would be GREAT, as it would likely lead to new regulations being written for these things, and the govt taking a serious look at them.

I am frankly surprised they haven't yet been classified and the MTO being money hungry haven't gone the route of plating them so they can grab more cash..lol


Rob MacLennan said:
Specific information, related to the Toronto Bylaws:

http://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/79/101000051179.html

Electric bicycles are classified as "motorized recreational vehicles" under Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 608. Therefore, they are NOT permitted on bike paths or foot paths in City of Toronto Parks.
They are only permitted in parks that allow vehicular traffic, excluding service roads and areas posted prohibiting public vehicular access.


Motorized vehicles (including e-bikes) may not be used on park multi-use paths. If a motorized vehicle is used on a park path, the rider/driver may be fined $305.00 by bylaw enforcement officers. The Waterfront Multi-Use path, Don Valley & Humber Multi-use paths, are all considered parklands. The new railpath & Hydro corridor trails are considered linear parks.


Toronto Municipal Code - Chapter 608 - Parks (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter to prohibit and regulate activities in City parks)(see definition of "Motorized Recreational Vehicle" at beginning of bylaw, also 608-30)

If you wish to file a complaint about an e-bike in a City of Toronto multi-use path, please contact Municipal Licensing & Standards Waste & Parks Bylaw Enforcement.
Click to expand...
 
hedo2002 said:
Thanks Rob GREAT info. Toronto is one of the few municipalities, (likely due to the size of council and the environmentalist groups), that update their bylaws. Most haven't updated theirs to include these ebikes yet. I expect as Bike cop said if an ebike were found on a trail designated as non motorized they would get charged and have to fight it in court. Which IMHO would be GREAT, as it would likely lead to new regulations being written for these things, and the govt taking a serious look at them.

I am frankly surprised they haven't yet been classified and the MTO being money hungry haven't gone the route of plating them so they can grab more cash..lol
Click to expand...

MTO, as far as I know, is still running their pilot programme where "alternative vehicles" are concerned. I fully expect that they'll ultimately come up with some sort of basic licensing fee and plate/sticker.

In court I think that a charge in a municipality where ebike status hasn't yet been spelt out would come down to whether the bike was being pedalled, or was under power.
 
Bike Cop said:
I would add that an e-bike falls under the def'n of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code, so if a driver were prohibited from driving due to a criminal conviction ie. impaired operation, they could be charged for driving while disqualified for operating an e-bike.
Click to expand...

i don't think so, can you post something to support it?
 
vociferous said:
i don't think so, can you post something to support it?
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Previous discussion of this here:

http://www.gtamotorcycle.com/vbforum/archive/index.php/t-150165.html

*EDIT*

And CTV News, from 2 years ago:

http://toronto.ctvnews.ca/popular-e-bikes-in-legal-grey-area-1.840184

The Criminal Code definition of a motor vehicle is, "<dfn>“motor vehicle”</dfn> means a vehicle that is drawn, propelled or driven by any means other than muscular power, but does not include railway equipment;"

An example of a Criminal Code case that involved impairment while operating an ebike:

http://www.canlii.org/en/sk/skpc/do...rchUrlHash=AAAAAQAOaW1wYWlyZWQgZWJpa2UAAAAAAQ
 
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I've personally dealt with one individual who showed up for his Ident (fingerprints/photos) for his drive while disqualified charge, on an e-bike, only to leave with a second charge for the same.
 
hedo2002 said:
Thanks Rob GREAT info. Toronto is one of the few municipalities, (likely due to the size of council and the environmentalist groups), that update their bylaws. Most haven't updated theirs to include these ebikes yet. I expect as Bike cop said if an ebike were found on a trail designated as non motorized they would get charged and have to fight it in court. Which IMHO would be GREAT, as it would likely lead to new regulations being written for these things, and the govt taking a serious look at them.

I am frankly surprised they haven't yet been classified and the MTO being money hungry haven't gone the route of plating them so they can grab more cash..lol
Click to expand...

I get the impression that our bylaws more accurately deal with the interaction of buggies and horseless carriages.

Go back 50 years: Commercial trucks, family sedans, the occasional motorcycle, CCM bicycles and pedestrians sharing the transit space.

Today: Truck trains, Increased truck traffic from deregulation, Fiats to Ferraris, more motorcycles, Lycra cyclists, joggers, skateboards, roller blades, e-bikes, mopeds, scooters, motorized skateboards etc. Each has it's own set of rules and attitudes and if anything, the allotted transit space is smaller.

My beef with e-bikes is that the "We can do anything we want" attitude.

Some Q&As

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/emerging/e-bike-faq.shtml

Q-22 is an eye opener. Fines/offences
 
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