Massachusetts lawmakers and local officials are grappling with how to safely integrate e-bikes, scooters and other micromobility devices onto public roads, just as one of the devices was involved in a fatal South Hadley scooter crash earlier this month.

A state commission created in 2024 found growing use of micromobility devices across the commonwealth and recommended stronger safety standards, improved crash tracking and clearer rules for riders and motorists.

Those recommendations helped shape Gov. Maura Healey’s proposed Ride Safe Act, which would create statewide regulations for e-bikes, scooters and similar devices.

The rapid growth in device use marks a sharp change from just a few years ago. Brookline launched what was promoted as Massachusetts’ first shared e-scooter pilot program in 2019, touting it as a way to reduce car trips and improve access to public transportation. By 2023, Pittsfield and West Springfield also had launched scooter-share programs.

As e-bikes and scooters continue to gain popularity, lawmakers and local officials are increasingly focused on balancing transportation options with public safety.

In West Springfield, police have spent much of the summer warning riders and parents about safety concerns.

Police Sgt. Thomas E. Burke said an increase in e-bike and scooter traffic has led to more complaints, close calls and unsafe riding on town roads.

“Our main goal is education,” Burke said. “We really want to make sure everyone, especially parents, understands the real dangers of unsafe riding and realizes that these riders have to follow the exact same traffic laws as cars.”

Burke said officers are particularly concerned about riders running stop signs and red lights, speeding on sidewalks, and riding without helmets or lights.

“We just want to keep everyone safe and prevent serious accidents before they happen,” Burke said.

In Holyoke, City Councilor Patti Devine said the South Hadley crash on Aug. 10 highlights the need for safer scooter and e-bike use.

“It is heartbreaking to see what happened to those kids and their families,” Devine wrote in an email. “Both young lives are lost. One forever.”

Devine said she filed two orders with the council after a scooter sped past her vehicle on Beech Street several months ago as she prepared to make a turn.

“I can’t get over how fast they go,” she said.

Devine’s first order would require annual registration, liability insurance and Massachusetts license plates for high-speed motorized bicycles.

Her second would establish local regulations for motorized scooters and similar devices, including pocket bikes, minibikes, mini-motorcycles and motorized skateboards.

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