KT eMTB Policy Review Update

As folks are well aware, KT is currently undergoing an Electric Mountain Bike (eMTB) policy review. This process, which began in early June 2021, has sparked passionate dialogue among trail users, within our community, and between KT landowners. The KT Team and Board of Directors are grateful for the incredible feedback we have received from all and we continue to encourage folks to share their experienced based input and thoughts.

KT understands conversations about eMTBs can be controversial and divisive. Therefore our team began an intensive policy review by initiating a listen and learn process. KT is not advocating for or against eMTBs. Rather we are engaging in research and listening with the goal of arriving at the most responsible and sustainable decision for our community.

The review began with an informational session offered to all our KT landowners as we believe those who make our trails possible should be centrally engaged in this process. The KT Team outlined our current policy as it remains “KT does not allow e-bikes on our trail network, as we honor the no motorized vehicle agreement we have made with our landowners.” We then educated our landowners on the different classes of eMTBs and that KT would only be reviewing Class 1 eMTBs for use on our trails. 

The KT Team believes it was important to consult with, and review the stances that are held at other organizations, as eMTBs are not currently defined universally, or dealt with consistently across the US. We shared with our landowners policies such as IMBA’s and NEMBA’s, we also looked at federal and state public lands, and our own conservation easements with the Vermont Land Trust. We even invited Bob Green, the owner and founder of New Hampshire’s Green Woodlands Foundation trail network, to share his experience as he conducted a pilot program in 2019 allowing Class 1 eMTBs on his trails. 

We engaged in conversation with our own community members, local businesses, trail users, and KT landowners, even creating a special email address, eMTB@kingdomtrails.org, encouraging folks to share their opinions. Through these conversations and emails we have learned reasons why people are supportive of eMTB access, yet also their concerns. We are educating ourselves on the many apprehensions people have that range from fast speeds creating trail user conflicts, injuries, impact to land, and increasing the number of trail users to our network. Yet we also realize that allowing eMTBs could broaden access for those with physical limitations due to age, illness and disability, supporting KT’s commitment to equity and inclusion. 

Through this research we have learned that any trail open for pedestrian use and owned or operated by a public or private entity, such as KT, is subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations regarding Other Power-Driven Mobility Devices (OPDMDs). These rules mandate that motorized vehicles of any type used by a person with a mobility disability be allowed on trails where pedestrians are allowed. This means adaptive MTBs that have an electric assist motor are already allowed on KT. We welcome their use.

Another step in the review process was an eMTB demo day, providing an opportunity for Landowners to try out an eMTB first hand. KT hosted this event at the end of August and invited our Landowners to see how they handle, how they look and sound, plus a chance to ask more questions and explore further. We are grateful to Specialized Bikes and Bosch Ebike Systems for offering eMTBs and serving as a resource for our landowners.

Now, as the end of summer season approaches, KT still finds itself in the midst of our policy review. Through the process of educating ourselves and our landowners, we have found that there are significant gaps in research. There are limited studies on eMTBs, especially as they relate to Northeastern terrain. We believe a healthy next step would be to commission a study combining management issues such as injuries with social effects like inclusivity and accessibility while also providing assessment of on the ground trail and land impacts. 

We understand this may not be the update people hoped for. Yet we are not confident in our understanding and more information is needed to help address and answer the questions and concerns that have been shared around safety, use, and potential impacts to trail integrity and sustainability. We commit to continuing to listen and learn. We welcome everyone's feedback and again thank you in advance for participating in this deliberative process with civility and respect. To participate in our process, submit your input by email to eMTB@kingdomtrails.org. 

And please remember, regardless of whether or not you agree with KT’s process or we amend our policy, we ask that all Ride with Gratitude.