E-bikes and E-motos have become a hot topic in the City, especially in our neighborhood along the Cape Henry Trail. At the April Civic Association meeting, residents brought up many questions and concerns. The information below is being shared in hopes to address some of the concerns.

Residents are reminded to call the Police non-emergency number at 757-385-5000 to report any E-bike violations.

The City’s Parks and Recreation Department provided the following answers to questions raised at the association meeting.

Q1 – Are electric motor driven cycles (without pedal assistance) illegal to ride on the Cape Henry Trail (CHT)? > These are the small all electric no pedal mini dirt bikes that are now pretty prevalent in small biker gangs around our area. Based on the City Code section below and the No Motorized Vehicle signs already posted on the CHT, I would think these type of bikes are illegal and enforcement by the police is possible.

A1 – You are correct that these are illegal on the trail. The vehicles you described do not meet the legal definition of e-bikes and are instead categorized as motorized vehicles (we generally refer to them as “e-motos”). Because they are motorized, they are prohibited on the CHT.

The difficulty with these vehicles, unfortunately, lies in the practicalities of policing them. To help address the issue, Parks & Recreation and the Police Department, along with our Communications department, have launched a webpage to help residents and tourists understand the rules of the road and the differences between legal e-bikes and e-motos: https://communications.virginiabeach.gov/hot-topics/e-bikes

Q2 – You discussed this with us at a meeting, does the City still prohibit posting speed limit signs on the CHT? > I wasn’t sure if the Task Force had discussed this and maybe fast tracked their installation with Traffic Engineers. Something like a 28 MPH which would cover anything over the allowed Class 1, 2 and 3s? We understand that even with signs, enforcement will be the crucial point.

A2 – Both State Code and Virginia Beach City Code regulate speed limits on and off the roadways. E-bike standards typically have motorized speed caps of 20 mph (Classes 1 & 2) and 28 mph (Class 3). Adding and enforcing speed limit signs on shared-use paths like the CHT would be highly difficult to police. Additionally, traditional road bicycles can naturally exceed 20 mph without motor assistance.

That being said, one of the Task Force’s recommendations being presented to City Council focuses on updated signage to better educate citizens on these issues. The Task Force is scheduled to present its findings on April 28, at which point the City Council will determine the next steps.

Q3 – Is there a draft or final study from the Task Force? > I see from the website that the last meeting date was March 6, 2026. Is there anything online and available for the public to review? Mayor’s E-Bike Safety Task Force | City of Virginia Beach

A3 – Safety Task Force presented recommendations to City Council on April 28, 2026.