Kids on e-dirt bikes ‘terrorizing’ NE Tacoma, neighbors say. What’s being done?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Residents say youth on electric dirt bikes are speeding and ignoring traffic laws.
- Tacoma police confirm calls about youth around 14 or 15 years old.
- Police urge callers to report unsafe activity via 911; officers have talked to parents.
Earlier this month, The News Tribune received a tip that “NE Tacoma residents are experiencing a problem with marauding packs of juvenile delinquents terrorizing our neighborhoods” on electric dirt bikes and scooters.
A handful of Northeast Tacoma residents told The News Tribune this week that groups of kids on electric dirt bikes have been speeding around neighborhoods, cutting people off on sidewalks and zooming past stop signs into traffic now that the weather is nicer. None of the residents wanted to share their names with The News Tribune, fearing the retaliation some of their neighbors have experienced: their houses egged, their doorbells rung and kids flipping them off and cursing them out.
Shelbie Boyd with the Tacoma Police Department confirmed Friday that the department has received calls about that kind of activity, including along Ruston Way. Most of the cases she’s heard about involve youth around 14 or 15 years old.
In a Facebook post May 12, the Tacoma Police Department said electric dirt bikes, mopeds and motorcycles are “increasingly being advertised to youth & their families — but the combination of young, inexperienced riders and devices capable of high speeds on neighborhood streets can have dire consequences.”
Many of the bikes “are either not street legal at all” or require users to be at least 16 years old to operate, with a license, registration and helmet, per the post. The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission lays out the legal guidelines for “e-mobility vehicles,” which vary depending on vehicle type.
“Look for speed & wattage limits before you buy,” the police department said online. “Ensure young people understand and are prepared to follow the rules of the road every time — including where they are allowed to ride, requirements for stopping for pedestrians, how to navigate uncontrolled intersections and appropriate speeds.”
Maria Lee, with the city of Tacoma, told The News Tribune on Friday that e-bikes and electric motorcycles/dirt bikes are defined and regulated differently at the state level.
E-bikes, or electric-assisted bicycles, are classified by the state as “having fully operational pedals and a motor output of no more than 750 watts,” Lee said. They do not require a driver’s license or vehicle registration, as an e-bike is not a motorcycle, per the law.
Riders of e-motorcycles or e-dirt bikes need to be at least 16 years old, have a valid driver’s license, hold a motorcycle endorsement, register the vehicle and wear a helmet, Lee said.
“Electric dirt bikes are not street legal unless they have been heavily modified to meet state street-legal requirements,” Lee said. “Neither e-motorcycles nor e-dirt bikes (whether street legal or not) are allowed on sidewalks or shared use paths.”
A chart on the city of Tacoma’s website details where bicycles, e-bikes, electric motorized foot scooters, electric personal assistive mobility devices (EPAMDs) and gas motorized foot scooters can be ridden in city limits. Bicycles, some e-bikes, electric motorized foot scooters and EPAMDs must yield to pedestrians on sidewalks. All but gas motorized foot scooters can ride in bike lanes.
What to do if you see this activity
Boyd encouraged residents to call 911 when they see unsafe activity, like speeding or traffic violations. It’s good to have a description of what the person is wearing, what action they are taking and where they are headed. Officers have to witness the activity to enforce penalties, but they have been talking to youth and their parents when responding to calls, she said. Parents are notified in the case of an arrest, Boyd said.
“It’s frustrating [to the public], I totally can understand that. All I can say is, you got to give us a chance,” Boyd said, encouraging residents to get involved with community meetings and meet with their community-policing division. “It’s frustrating for the officers, too.”
Boyd said a lack of police officers isn’t necessarily a factor in response time to these types of calls. It depends on what other priority calls they are responding to at the time of the complaint, like a shooting or a fatal car accident or a domestic violence call with injuries, which would take priority, she said.
“We want kids out riding bikes. We want them outside enjoying the weather and our parks and our safe roads,” Boyd said. “We want compliance in it. We don’t want to have to enforce it. We want parents to know what their kids are riding, because no parent wants their kid injured on a bike or a moped or a scooter, and so maybe we can help them understand the laws and the vehicles their kids are riding, and the vehicles they are buying honestly, so that they can help their kids enjoy the outdoors.”
