Mackinac Island has new speed limit for e-bikes

Slow down, Mackinac Island bikers.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 682 Monday implementing a speed limit for bikes and electric bikes (e-bikes) on the car-free island's main highway. Under the new law , bikers cannot go faster than 15 miles per hour, or 10 miles per hour within the business district of the island.

Violators will be responsible for a civil infraction and be subject to a civil fine of up to $100.

The Mackinac Island Convention and Visitors Bureau supported the bill, according to a summary of the legislation from the House Fiscal Agency.

State Sen. John Damoose, R-Harbor Springs, whose district includes Mackinac Island, introduced the bill signed by Whitmer.

"I spoke with Mackinac Island officials and worked out agreeable terms prior to formally introducing the legislation earlier this year. This was an important update that had bipartisan support all the way to the governor’s desk," Damoose said in a statement.

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E-bikes on the island have raised safety concerns because they can reach up to 28 miles per hour and the new law will help avoid accidents involving the bikes, Whitmer's office said in a news release announcing the new speed limit.

E-bikes are largely prohibited on the island , but one type is allowed for use by people with disabilities.

State Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, who opposed the legislation, acknowledged on the Senate floor that fast bikers on the island have posed a problem but argued that the new law will be difficult to enforce because bikers won't have speedometers and predicts that they'll be ticketed without knowing how fast they're going.

The new speed limit law takes effect immediately.

Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen .

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Island has new speed limit for e-bikes