Holly Springs weighs new e-bike rules amid safety concerns

Holly Springs has put new limits on e-bikes, e-motos and other electric personal travel devices after officials said the town was seeing collisions, 911 calls and dangerous riding patterns on local streets and greenways.

The Holly Springs Town Council unanimously passed the ordinance Tuesday, April 22, 2026, and the rules are expected to take effect June 1, 2026. Under the new law, pedestrians have the right of way on sidewalks, side paths and greenways, and riders must alert others before passing. Repeated violations can bring fines, and officers may impound e-bikes or e-motos being used illegally.

Town officials said the action was driven by more than a vague sense of concern. They said there have already been at least two reported collisions between an e-bike or e-moto and another vehicle in Holly Springs. Police also described incidents involving pre-teens and teens riding unregistered e-motos, doing wheelies and impeding traffic. The town said its emergency communications center has received numerous calls about e-motos.

The response is combining enforcement with education. Town staff are building an online parent resource guide, a social media campaign and in-person information sessions so families understand both the rules and the risks. Holly Springs police have also been meeting with teens at local high schools to gather ideas on how to reach young riders, and Deputy Chief of Police Jay Bruner said that effort helped the department narrow its focus to middle-school-age riders as a key audience.

That local push comes as state lawmakers consider a broader framework for electric bikes. North Carolina Senate Bill 576, filed in 2025, defines electric assisted bicycles as devices with up to 750 watts and sets three classes of e-bikes, with Class 1 and Class 2 limited to 20 mph and Class 3 assisted up to 28 mph. The bill would allow cities to restrict classes of e-bikes on multiuse paths, sidewalks or trails, set speed limits on greenways or shared-use paths and require helmets for riders under 18 on Class 3 e-bikes.

The issue has become even more immediate in Holly Springs after the fatal bike crash involving 14-year-old Max Dunham, a loss that has kept bicycle safety front and center for families and town leaders. With school-age riders, sidewalks, greenways and neighborhood streets all in play, the town is moving to define where electric devices can go before the next close call becomes a worse one.