e-biking in Kansas City

The city’s new ordinance targets out-of-control youth hurtling at high speeds on electric scooters and bikes, but it also captures e-bike commuters riding Class 3 bikes in its wide net. It’s now illegal to ride faster than 20 mph in bike lanes and cycle tracks. Everything else remains the same–no license or helmet required. It’s still okay to ride faster in the street.

I generally see people riding Class 3 bikes as fast as conditions allow, up to 28 mph where the motor disengages. And as is clear to anyone riding a bike in this city, the ability to go that fast makes a Class 3 e-bike safer, not more dangerous. The differential between the speed of a bike and the speed of car traffic is what creates unsafe conditions. But does this matter when a cyclist is in a bike lane or cycle track?

Well, it depends wholly on how protected the cyclist really is. In a cycle track, if properly designed, the cyclist is somewhat protected, so the speed limit may be an annoyance but probably doesn’t increase the danger. In a bike lane, the cyclist is not protected. The slower speed increases the danger. That nuance is lost, of course, on members of the city council.

I don’t really think the new law will have much of an impact, but to fully endorse it, I’m ready to make a deal with the city. If 20 mph is safe for cyclists, then it is for motorists. Any road with a cycle track or bike lane should carry a 20 mph speed limit for everyone!

I’ve been riding my Class 3 e-bike for seven years and 12,000 miles, most of it on the streets of Kansas City. I ride a fair amount of the time faster than 20 mph, but usually not in bike lanes or cycle tracks, but on the streets in traffic. I wish we had such facilities that are so well designed that fast speeds were possible, for the difference between limiting speed to 20 mph and allowing faster riding makes a big difference when we’re talking about commuting to work and other times when we are using the e-bike not for recreation but for transportation.

And I suppose we can expect the 6 mph forgiveness above the posted limit that the policy allow cars and trucks, right?

Here’s what BikeWalkKC has to say about the ordinance: https://bikewalkkc.org/blog/2026/08/05/new-e-bike-and-e-moto-regulations-in-kcmo-two-steps-forward-one-step-back/