E-Bikes in Portsmouth: Building a Culture of Safety Together

If you’ve noticed more e-bikes zipping around Portsmouth lately, you’re not alone. From teens cruising downtown to families heading to the rail trail, e-bikes of all shapes and sizes have quickly become part of our city’s streets. With this growth comes a need for conversations about safety, responsibility, and community.

That’s why the Portsmouth Police Department (PPD) has been teaming up with SABR, local businesses, and community partners. Together, we’ve been talking about the rules of the road and brainstorming ways to reach riders—especially teens—so that e-biking can be fun and safe for everyone.

Since June 2025, officers have made about 70 contacts with e-bike riders. Not a single ticket was issued. Instead, the focus has been on education: a chance to pause, explain the laws, and encourage safe riding habits. We love that the department is approaching this not with punishment, but with the spirit of community connection.

To keep the conversation going, the PPD recently hosted a public presentation at the library and created a handy brochure. They’ll also be visiting middle and high schools this year to meet students where they are and spark important conversations about responsibility on two wheels.

One important point worth highlighting is the difference between e-bikes and e-mopeds (or e-motos). Many of the teens we see riding fast, heavy, throttle-powered bikes are actually on e-motos, which are not legal on bike paths and often require registration and licensing. Parents play a key role here—before buying an e-moto, it’s worth understanding the laws and making sure your teen has the right knowledge, equipment, and supervision. These machines aren’t toys, and helping young riders use them responsibly is an important part of keeping our whole community safe.

Differences between e-bikes and e-motos. Source: peopleforbikes.org

As Deputy Chief of Police Mike Maloney put it, the heart of this effort is simple: keeping riders safe while helping our community share the road respectfully.

If you’d like to dig deeper, here are some helpful resources recommended by SABR Board Member Annie Poubeau:

• Part 1 of PeopleForBikes’ series: The E-Bike Problem is an E-Moto Problem

• PPD’s E-Bike Brochure

PD_Portsmouth_EBikes_September2025.pdf

Download PDF • 9.37MB

• PeopleForBikes: Electric Bike Policies and Laws

At SABR, we believe education and community are key to building a safe, bike-friendly city. The rise of e-bikes is an exciting opportunity to get more people riding—and with the right knowledge, it can also make Portsmouth’s streets better for everyone.