RTD will allow customers to travel with e-bikes effective Nov. 15

Beginning Nov. 15, RTD customers will be permitted to travel with battery electric bikes, commonly known as e-bikes.

Effective that date, e-bikes can be brought aboard RTD transit vehicles, with the following exceptions:

• Those exceeding 55 pounds may not be loaded onto any bus-mounted front bicycle rack
• For regional buses, such as those used for Flatiron Flyer service, e-bikes must either fit on the front bike racks or in the luggage compartment beneath the vehicles
• Gasoline-powered vehicles remain prohibited aboard transit vehicles

E-bikes may not be brought onto the light rail high blocks, which are intended for use by individuals with disabilities and are not intended to accommodate devices that are not primarily designed or intended to assist persons with mobility disabilities.

In the coming weeks, RTD will update the Bike-n-Ride webpage to reflect additional policies or best practices around e-bikes that will be put into place by Nov. 15. To arrive at the decision announced today, RTD staff worked with the American Public Transportation Association and researched the e-bike policies of nine U.S. transit agencies to understand their practices and consider whether such vehicles can safely be accommodated on the RTD system.

“I recognize that public interest in this topic has been high, and I commend the team across RTD that reviewed this topic with such thoughtfulness,” said General Manager and CEO Debra A. Johnson. “Based upon industry best practices garnered by staff, the agency’s course of action regarding e-bikes will continue to evolve over time, and RTD will remain flexible and agile on this matter.”