📢 Morris Plains Adopts New E-Bike & E-Scooter Safety Ordinance
On July 16th, the Borough Council formally adopted our new local ordinance covering e-bikes and e-scooters. Here’s what it means for our community, and how you can help shape what comes next.
Why now: New Jersey’s new e-bike law (S4834) took full effect July 19th, requiring riders to be licensed, register with the MVC, and carry insurance. But the state law leaves a lot up to local towns: where you can ride, how fast, and battery fire safety. Our ordinance fills those gaps.
What’s in it:
🚲 Clear rules for low-speed e-bikes, throttle-equipped e-bikes, and high-speed e-motos, each with different helmet and licensing requirements
🏫 Authority for the Council to set reduced speed zones near schools and in our business district
🌳 E-bikes and e-scooters limited to paved surfaces on Borough property, no unpaved trails or fields
📦 New accountability rules for businesses using e-bikes for local deliveries
🔋 Brand-new battery fire safety standards, the first time Morris Plains has addressed lithium-ion battery safety at all, including certified batteries, safe storage, and a ban on charging in apartment hallways and stairwells
👮 A 90-day period of warnings rather than fines for first-time violations, as our Police Department helps residents get up to speed
This is just the start. We heard real, thoughtful feedback from residents both before and during last night’s meeting, and we’re actively collecting resident input to help guide a future update to this ordinance. We want more voices in that process.
Here’s how to get involved:
📝 A short resident survey is coming this summer
🧺 Stop by and talk with us in person at an upcoming Morris Plains Farmers Market
✉️ Email the Council directly, anytime; we read every message
📄 Read the full ordinance here: Ord. 9-2026 Ebike Ordinance
Thank you to everyone who’s already reached out. Your input is genuinely shaping what comes next.