Agawam is considering making repeated e-bike violations much more expensive for local households.
Instead of a single $50 ticket for each offense, the Massachusetts town is considering a stepped penalty system that would increase the amount for repeat misconduct by younger riders and their families.
Here's what to know
If the change is finalized, Agawam would no longer issue the same $50 fine for each e-bike violation. Following an 11-0 City Council vote to amend the town's 2025 ordinance, second offenses would be penalized at $100 and third or later offenses at $300, according to MassLive. The measure still needs a confirming vote from the council.
What riders are prohibited from doing would not change under the amendment. The ordinance would continue to bar reckless operation, riding on sidewalks, carrying passengers, and riding without a helmet.
According to Councilor Dino R. Mercadante, who backed both the original measure and the update, Agawam has seen more motor-assisted bikes ridden by children who ignore traffic laws and alter their bikes to go beyond the state's 20 mph limit.
Police could also cite parents or guardians who "authorize or knowingly permit" someone younger than 18 to break the ordinance, and officers could impound bikes for up to 15 days.
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More background
The proposal would turn unsafe riding into a direct household expense. For families already spending hundreds of dollars on an e-bike, repeat violations could quickly add another layer of cost.
Councilor Rosemary Sandlin said adults often purchase the bikes. She noted that battery-powered models can cost roughly $200 to over $1,000, even before fines or impound-related disruptions are considered.
What's being done?
Mercadante said the point is to influence behavior at home, since police cannot stop every rider who uses an e-bike unsafely and parents need to teach their children how to ride responsibly.
Backing that strategy, former police detective and current Councilor Robert E. Rossi said the fines should be large enough to register with parents: "Kids don't really pay attention to the consequences of what they do. It's up to the parents themselves to sit down and talk to their little devil and tell them the consequences of speeding and riding on sidewalks."
"Ultimately, the purpose is to save lives," Mercadante said. "The town of Agawam is not looking for another revenue stream, here. The town of Agawam is looking to be proactive to save your kids' lives."
Where can I learn more?
Agawam's proposed fine increase is part of a wider effort to curb unsafe e-bike riding, especially as officials wrestle with modified bikes, higher speeds, and questions about accountability. In Massachusetts and beyond, lawmakers are trying different approaches as they weigh micromobility access against public-safety concerns.
• Massachusetts lawmakers advanced a bill tying e-bike rules to speed thresholds for faster micromobility devices.
• In Florida, legislators proposed fines for dangerous e-bike modifications as speed tampering alarms officials.
• In New Jersey, a new e-bike law drew backlash as advocacy groups called it discriminatory.
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