E-micromobility: E-bikes, E-scooters and More

Micromobility, such as bikes, scooters and skateboards, is a wheeled type of transportation that is:

• Low speed

• Operated by a single person

• Meant for travel over a short distance

• Privately owned or available as shared, rental vehicles

E-micromobility, or electric micromobility, is a type of micromobility that is also:

• Powered by electricity

• Does not have an internal combustion engine

• Does not travel over 20 mph

Examples include e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards.

Manufacturers will often describe devices as Class 1-3 e-bikes due to their ability to toggle between power settings.

Because these devices can speed more than 20+ miles per hour, their use is more restricted than Class 1 and 2 e-bikes.

Read the regulations below to know if your device is defined in the Boulder Revised Code as a Class 3 e-bike, Low-Power Scooter or other device.

City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) recently completed a community engagement process that will allow visitors to ride Class 1 and Class 2 electric bikes on certain open space trails. View a map that shows visitors where they can ride Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes on specific Boulder OSMP trails.

Read our guide to learn more about the types of e-bikes allowed on Open Space and Mountain Parks trails and where you can ride them.

• Guide to E-Bikes on Boulder Open Space
• Map of trails allowing e-bikes (PDF)

Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes are allowed on roads and bike lanes. The same rules apply whether you’re on an e-bike or a conventional bike.

• You must ride close to the right side of the road or bike lane (when it is safe to do so), except when making a left turn or passing a slower vehicle
• Ride side-by-side with no more than one other cyclist
• Signal your intention to turn or stop (only if it is safe for you to take a hand off the bars)
• E-bike riders must obey speed limits and other road signs in the same way that conventional bike riders do
• Colorado’s Safety Stop applies to e-bikes — bike and e-bike riders can treat stop signs like yield signs and red lights like stop signs if it is safe to do so and as long as they do not take the right of way from another road user

Class 3 e-bikes cannot be operated on multi-use paths.

Class 1 and 2 e-bikes follow the same multi-use path rules as regular bikes:

• The speed limit on multi-use paths is 15 mph.
• Always yield to pedestrians and slower-moving traffic
• Pass slower-moving travelers on the left
  • Before you pass, always use an audible signal to alert people, such as with a bike bell or by loudly saying, “passing on your left”
  • Always pass at a slow speed to ensure courtesy, etiquette and safety

Class 3 e-bikes cannot be operated on trails.

Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are allowed on certain OSMP trails.

For full details, view the City of Boulder Municipal Code.

Electric assisted bicycle 

Electric assisted bicycle means a vehicle having:

• two tandem wheels or two parallel wheels and one forward wheel;
• fully operable pedals;
• and an electric motor not exceeding 750 watts of power rating.

The State of Colorado recognizes three classes of electric-assisted bicycles:

• Class 1 E-bike: Equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour.

• Class 2 E-bike: Equipped with a motor that provides assistance regardless of whether the rider is pedaling but ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour.

• Class 3 E-bike: Equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches a speed of 28 miles per hour.​

The City of Boulder permits class 1 and class 2 e-bikes on sidewalks (except in dismount zones), multi-use paths, bike lanes and streets. Class 3 e-bikes are permitted only on streets and in bike lanes.

Low-power scooter

Low-power scooter means a self-propelled vehicle designed primarily for use on the roadways with

• not more than three wheels in contact with the ground;
• no manual clutch;
• and either of the following:
  • (1) A cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty cubic centimeters if powered by internal combustion; or
  • (2) A wattage not exceeding four thousand four hundred seventy-six if powered by electricity.

Low-power scooter does not include a toy vehicle, bicycle, electric assisted bicycle, electric scooter, or any device designed to assist people with mobility impairments who use pedestrian rights-of-way.

Lightweight electric vehicle

Lightweight electric vehicle means any device capable of moving itself, or of being moved, from place to place upon wheels that is

• powered by a battery; and
• weighing less than fifty pounds, including by way of example but not limitation an
  • electric scooter;
  • electric skateboard;
  • electric unicycle; and
  • self-balancing single-wheel electric personal transport board.

Lightweight electric vehicle shall not include a toy vehicle.

Low-speed electric vehicle

Low-speed electric vehicle means a vehicle that is self-propelled utilizing electricity as its primary propulsion method:

• Has at least three wheels in contact with the ground

• Does not use handlebars to steer

• Exhibits the manufacturer's compliance with 49 C.F.R. 565 or displays a seventeen-character vehicle identification number as provided in 49 C.F.R. 565

• Whose maximum speed is not greater than 25 mph

Such vehicles are motor vehicles and are authorized to operate upon the streets of the city subject to the provisions of the Boulder traffic code.

Toy vehicle

Toy vehicle means any vehicle that has wheels and is not designed for use on streets or for off-road use.

Includes, but is not limited to, gas-powered or electric-powered vehicles commonly known as mini-bikes, "pocket" bikes, and kamikaze boards.

Toy vehicle does not include lightweight electric vehicles, off-highway vehicles, or snowmobiles.