The North Idaho Centennial Trail is loved.

The scenery can’t be beaten as the 23-mile paved pathway flows through and beyond Coeur d’Alene.

But a common complaint lately has been reaching the ears of Tabitha Kraack, executive director of the North Idaho Centennial Trail Foundation: Electric motorcycles.

“They go way too fast,” Kraack said. 

E-bikes and e-motorcycles can look similar but are different. 

While e-bikes have pedal assist, e-motorcycles do not. They are engine powered and offer a speedy way to navigate town, including the Centennial Trail.

“Everyone is kind of using them,” Kraack said.

While e-bikers generally stick close to 15 mph, e-motorcycle riders do not. 

Kraack has received notes of concern about e-motorcycles zipping past people on the trail, cutting too closely and kicking up rocks 

“They do cause a lot of complaints,” she said. 

They are difficult for police to do anything about, Kraack said. 

“Their hands are tied too,” she said. “We don’t know what to do with these.” 

That may change soon. 

The city of Coeur d’Alene Parks and Recreation Commission recently recommended that the City Council adopt new laws “to regulate the use of motor vehicles on trails and paths designed for pedestrian and bicycle traffic” and “to prevent harm to the health, safety, and welfare of the public.” 

According to a staff report, electric-powered transportation like scooters, skateboards, bikes and motorcycles “can exceed speeds that are safe for both the operator of these devices and the public using the trails around them.” 

They are also growing in popularity. 

“The trails have seen a large increase in use, due to e-bikes, and unfortunately, a large increase in other electric vehicles that have proven to be dangerous to the public using these facilities," the report said.

Police provided input on the proposed ordinance, as did the Prosecutor’s Office, and the Parks Department.

The state of Idaho has passed laws that allow e-bikes to use state trail systems, if they fit within three safety categories. According to the report, Coeur d’Alene is seeking to emulate state law and clean up its current code by locating it in one section, removing contradictions, defining what is allowed and what is not, and adding penalties for violation.

“The new ordinance will give trail users guidelines for enforceable trail rules for a safer trail system by providing reasonable regulations and a penalty for violations,” the report said.

City Attorney Randy Adams said the proposed ordinance makes it clear what vehicles and pedestrians are allowed on which trails and paths.

“There have been complaints about bikes, electric-assisted bikes, and other electric vehicles on pedestrian paths,” he wrote. “So, we hope the new ordinance will help wheeled vehicles and pedestrians avoid conflicts as much as possible."

The proposed ordinance sets a maximum speed for all vehicles, including electric-assisted bikes and other electric vehicles, on trails and paths at 15 miles per hour.  

The proposed ordinance also sets out “rules of the road” and provides that pedestrians have the right-of-way. 

There are also new provisions that deal with damage caused to trails and paths.

Penalties are spelled out: 

• A first violation is subject to a civil citation with a civil penalty of $100. 

• A second or third violation is an infraction subject to a fine of $300. 

• The fourth or subsequent violation would be a misdemeanor. 

“We hope that more clarity and specificity will help the police enforce the rules on trails," Adams wrote.  

Police Chief Lee White said his department receives complaints about e-bikes and e-motorcycles, but he said police face a difficult task trying to slow them down under current laws. 

“It's really unenforceable,” he said. 

He said police lost their e-bike fleet in last year’s fire that destroyed millions of dollars worth of equipment. The only way to catch speeding e-motorcycles on the trail would be to assign a police rig to patrol it and chase them down. With limited resources, that’s not going to happen. 

“We want to manage expectations,” White said.

The proposed ordinance reads: “No person shall drive or operate a Motor Vehicle upon any Trail, Bicycle Path, Pedestrian Path, or Multi-Use Path, or other separate right-of-way set aside for use by pedestrians, Bicycles, or Non-Motorized Vehicles. 

It defines such a vehicle as "self-propelled, including, but not limited to, Motorcycles, Motorbikes, Motor Scooters, Motor-Driven Cycles, automobiles, trucks, and tractors, but not including Electric Vehicles, Electric-Assisted Bicycles, or Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Devices.” 

So, under the proposed law, if police see an e-motorcycle on the trail, they can cite the operator.

Montee McCully, trails coordinator for the city of Coeur d’Alene, said when people are walking dogs and pushing strollers on the Centennial Trail, speeding e-motorcycles can create dangerous situations 

“People are really concerned about this, and the public wants something done,” he said. 

The proposed ordinance is expected to go to the City Council for consideration soon.