City of Bend, state Rep. Emerson Levy to host roundtable on e-bike safety, enforcement

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The City of Bend, in coordination with state Rep. Emerson Levy, will host a roundtable conversation about e-bike safety and enforcement from 3-5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 18 at the Larkspur Community Center Multi-Purpose Room (1600 SE Reed Market Road, Bend).

Organizers said the roundtable is intended to provide an opportunity for invited organizations and subject-matter experts to discuss e-bike enforcement, education and community engagement.

Concerns grew stronger nearly a month ago when a Bend 15-year-old was fatally injured when his e-bike was struck by a minivan turning into Highway 20 in northeast Bend.

Wednesday's announcement continues in full below:

The list of roundtable participants is included below. Space to view the roundtable is limited in-person. Members of the public are invited to view a livestream of the meeting, which can be found at bendoregon.gov/councilagenda.

“The Bend City Council and Representative Levy’s office have heard an overwhelming amount of concern from the Bend community about the safety of e-bike riders and other roadway users. I believe there is room on our public streets for everyone to utilize them safely, and that starts with us coming together as leaders to talk about it,” said Bend Mayor Pro Tem Megan Perkins. 

The goal of these roundtables is to identify opportunities to increase community awareness around rules and safety about e-bikes, determine what gaps there are in enforcement mechanisms and identify creative fixes to ensure our community is riding and driving safely.

E-Bikes are an important alternative form of transportation that allow people of all abilities to commute without using a car. In the last few years, the City of Bend and surrounding Deschutes County have seen increased use of e-bikes, especially among youth.

“Community safety is one of my top priorities- our first roundtable is an essential start in achieving our shared goal of safer streets. We are seeing record levels of teenagers acquiring e-bikes, and it's time we perfect the laws surrounding these devices so our youth, and everyone in our community, can enjoy them safely,” said Levy.

E-bikes are a topic of interest among many in the community and the City invites individuals to share their ideas for improving e-bike safety and awareness ahead of the roundtable by submitting written comment to the Bend City Council at council@bendoregon.gov by Monday, July 17 at noon. You may also write Representative Levy at rep.emersonlevy@oregonlegislature.gov. Comments received will be synthesized and provided to the roundtable participants on Tuesday for discussion.

The City plans to follow this roundtable with e-bike safety and awareness information at community events starting in August and moving into the fall.

A roundtable is a type of public meeting that is intended to create a space for community discussion between community members, organizations and the Bend City Council in a less formal setting than a public meeting. There is generally no public comment at roundtable discussions. Roundtable attendees include:

•             Emerson Levy, Oregon State Representative

•             Phil Chang, Deschutes County Commissioner

•             Melanie Kebler, Bend Mayor

•             Megan Perkins, Bend Mayor Pro Tem

•             Bend Police Department

•             Steve Cook, Bend-La Pine School District Superintendent

•             Deb Schoen, Bend Park and Recreation District Board Member

•             Kayla Hootsmans, Oregon Department of Transportation Legislative Coordinator

•             Janet Hruby, City of Bend, Assistant City Engineer

•             Jim Elliott, Bend Bikes Board Member