Should e-bikes slower than 20 mph be considered just bicycles?  

It’s only been three full months since New Jersey’s strict e-bike laws took effect, and an advocacy group and some lawmakers want to see them changed.  

Frank Connor and his wife Shannon opened Jesse’s E-Rides two years ago. It’s named after their 16-year-old son Jesse who has autism.   

“When Jesse was growing up, he could never learn how to ride a two-wheel bike. We tried everything,” said Shannon Connor.  

Shannon saw how much freedom riding an e-bike gave Jesse and business was booming until New Jersey’s stringent e-bike rules passed.   

“We’re down about 60% now,” she said.  

That drop in sales forced them to downsize, and in two months, they’ll be out of their Shrewsbury store.   

But Shannon says these new rules leave out the special needs community.  

“Immediately I got a call from a disabled person who could not get their driver’s license because she was young but had macular degeneration.” 

Shannon co-authored new legislation with State Senator Raj Mukherji introduced last week that would simply make any e-bike 20 mph and slower a regular bike – no insurance, no license, no registration.  

Michael O’Hara is a Manchester Township officer and the executive director of the New Jersey Police Traffic Officers Association.  

“We don’t have enough data to determine whether it’s working or not,” said O’Hara. 

“The registration will help with identification, owner verification, theft recovery and crash investigation.  The licensing will provide certain mechanisms for knowledge of traffic rules and regulations.” 

Shannon says her main goal for starting this e-bike business was to better serve the underrepresented special needs community just like her son Jesse.  30% of her customer base at Jesse’s E-Rides are families with special needs. 

Shannon’s confident lawmakers will jump on this fix. Police, not so much.  

“What is easy is clearly seeing bad behavior and enforcing that. Punish the behavior not the vehicle,” she said.