Electric bikes, dirt bikes are becoming safety issue

Borough officials are asking residents to report any illegal activity.

North Belle Vernon officials are again urging residents to call 911 when they see unsafe or illegal activity — especially involving electric bikes and dirt bikes as complaints about high-speed riders ripping through residential streets and sidewalks continue to climb.

“I’ve been getting a number of complaints about dirt bikes and electric bikes running in and out of the sidewalks, nearly in front of cars,” Mayor Craig Ambrose said. “They’re doing like 50 miles an hour, right through stop signs, right in front of cars.”

He said it’s not just kids, adding, “The electric bikes — I’ve seen a couple. They’re adults.”

Ambrose urged residents not to hesitate to report any danger.

“Even if it’s non-emergency, you can still call 911 — they’re not going to yell at you,” he said. “Please, if you see something, call.”

Growing problem, unclear rules

Police Chief Eugene Lipari said officers are reviewing new guidance on how to police these devices under Pennsylvania law. State code allows certain low-powered e-bikes — those under 100 pounds with operable pedals and motors no more than 750 watts — to operate legally like bicycles. But once bikes are modified or exceed 20 mph under motor power, they fall outside the state’s legal e-bike category and may be considered illegal motor vehicles.

Electric scooters and dirt bikes don’t meet safety and equipment standards for public roads or sidewalks, meaning most of them are prohibited outright. Boroughs can regulate where these devices can be used — and issue fines — but enforcement is stretched thin. That point came up Tuesday night as Ambrose addressed staffing.

“I know you’ve been switching hours, working weekends — it’s been a lot,” he told Lipari. “We need officers. We need officers bad.”

The borough has tried to recruit, even offering to cover insurance costs, but Ambrose said the incentives fall flat with younger officers.

“Kids want money,” he said. “They don’t care about insurance. But this town needs officers — I can’t put it any more bluntly. Believe me, I’m getting way more calls than I ever have in all my time on council.” He said the problems in town now are things residents never used to see.

“It’s not that the state police don’t care — but they’re not going to be here in 10 minutes. They’re not going to be here in a half hour. Unless it’s a shooting, it’s going to take a while.”

Lipari said North Belle Vernon isn’t alone. “A small town like us, with a limited budget and limited revenue — it’s hard to incentivize.”

Ambrose didn’t let that comparison slide, saying, “The other towns are nowhere near as bad as us.”

He said the borough simply can’t compete with cities and townships that can offer more pay and better benefits. Still, something has to give.

‘Outside the box’

Council President Brett Berish said it may be time to start thinking differently.

“We’ve got to go outside the box here,” he said. “That might mean things some people don’t want to consider, but this is where we’re at.”

He said the borough will continue doing everything it can to support the current officers — keep them full-time and ensure they have what they need — but stressed that the borough can’t wait around for a perfect solution.

“This has to be public. I don’t care — we have to do it out in the open,” he said.

As for the illegal vehicles causing chaos around town, enforcement is coming — but resources are thin. And if council wants more than warnings, they’re going to need more than one or two officers on patrol.