New Jersey requires license and insurance for bikes

The outright war on bicyclists is expanding - under Plastic Surgery Phil.

New Jersey just became the first state in the union to require a license, registration, and insurance just to operate an electric bicycle. This bill was signed into law by the disastrous Gov. Phil Murphy on his last day in office. It applies to every class of electric bike, not just those with higher speeds and power. It imposes an age limit too.

The new law even bans all online electric bike sales for the next year. And it bans selling kits to modify low-speed electric bikes for higher speeds.

One reason why bikes should not be regulated as cars is that they're not cars. It's a simple concept really. Many states have long had stricter rules for more powerful electric bikes, but those are close to moped or motorcycle level. The standard electric bikes being restricted in New Jersey are not. They only differ from regular bikes in that the pedals may be assisted by an electric motor.

National and statewide bicycling and pedestrian organizations opposed the bill. Some noted that it would harm low-income residents the most. But of course, that was the point. It always is. The new law also runs afoul of meeting goals to fight climate change.

In fact, the requirements for even low-speed electric bikes in New Jersey are now far stricter than they were for cars in most of the country 50 years ago.

It's also been noted that New Jersey's new law violates a federal law that defines low-speed electric bikes as consumer products, not motor vehicles. And it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. Others have pointed out that the new law is unconstitutional (as if that stops new laws these days). The law is also backed by the auto industry.

In an era in which states and cities seem to be competing in earnest to see which can be the most bike-unfriendly, I think we finally have an undisputed "winner", and it's New Jersey.