Lakewalk speed limit coming for e-bikes and scooters in Duluth

DULUTH — Growing throngs of e-bikes and motorized scooters on Duluth's popular Lakewalk are rankling some, fueling an uptick in complaints to the city and a proposal to enact a speed limit on the trail's most congested sections.

Lakeside neighborhood resident John Herold said the number of electric bikes and scooters appearing throughout the Lakewalk "seemed to explode this year."

"We end up bracing ourselves for something to come whizzing past us at any moment, so relaxation is gone," said Herold, one of many residents who stroll the nearly 8 miles of trail.

The City Council voted Monday night to enact a speed limit of 10 mph on the Lakewalk between the Aerial Lift Bridge to the Rose Garden, and on the Baywalk from the blue slip bridge to the lift bridge. It applies to electric bikes, scooters and user-powered bikes. The speed limit will be posted, and in effect in a month.

Minor incidents between electric bikes and scooters and other users on the Lakewalk warranted a look at the issue, City Council president Arik Forsman said before the vote.

As use increases, "growing pains" have followed, he said.

Council Member Roz Randorf, asking for consideration of commuters and not just recreational users of the Lakewalk, tried to table the vote to get more user feedback. She pointed to a recent Duluth News Tribune letter to the editor from Forrest Vodden, part of pedestrian advocacy group We Walk in Duluth. He said to look to Minneapolis, where cyclists have for years followed a 10 mph limit on bike paths in its parks, and St. Paul.

Some parts of the Lakewalk do have separate paths for walkers and bikes.

Council member Terese Tomanek, who spearheaded the speed limit proposal, said it would take commuters only a few extra minutes to bike the mile-plus section at a reduced speed.

"I would hope commuters would be willing to make that small sacrifice to utilize the space and be safe," she said.

Herold wants the speed limit to extend to the residential portions of the trail, where kids learn to ride bikes and people walk dogs. He frequently sees lines of e-bikes weaving through walkers without a customary "on your left" warning.

"E-bikes conflict with the sense of conviviality on the trail," he said.

Bird didn't respond to an interview request.

E-bike Duluth, which runs a shop in Lakeside right across from the Lakewalk, rents and sells e-bikes, with the majority of rentals going to tourists. Manager Zach Fevold said he is supportive of a speed limit, and said their bikes have speedometers.

"Anything people can do to be more respectful to all types of users on the Lakewalk is a good thing," he said.

Jim Topie, president of Friends of the Lakewalk, a group of volunteers that works to protect and improve the trail system, said there has long been conflict between walkers and bikers around trail etiquette, and that's increased with the onset of electric bikes and scooters.