Trenton’s Law (HB 4103), legislation that updates definitions of electric-assisted bicycles in the Oregon Vehicle Code, passed the Oregon Senate 28-2, carried by Senator Tim Knopp. Trenton’s Law is named after Trenton Burger, who was struck and killed by a vehicle this summer in Bend while riding a Class 2 e-bike.
“When our community lost Trenton, our community immediately converged to decipher how to prevent any further incidents,” said Rep. Emerson Levy (D-Central Oregon). “We discovered that the statute around e-bikes hadn’t been updated since 1997. Cleaning up the law is the first step in building programs around safety and addressing youth ridership.”
Levy worked with Bend Chief of Police Mike Krantz while developing HB 4103. In testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation, Krantz said: “Our community has witnessed a remarkable surge in the use of e-bikes. This increased popularity has brought forth numerous questions and a degree of confusion, particularly around law enforcement, regarding the rules governing their use. Unfortunately, some of those inquiries only arose after a traumatic and tragic incident within our community.”
Levy affirms her commitment to making our roads safer: “This bill is just the first of many steps. Trenton’s Law is more than HB 4103, it’s a commitment to work on this for as long as it takes to make our infrastructure stronger for families, to support educational programs in our community, and to ensure everyone is safe on the road no matter their form of transportation,” said Levy.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be updating all educational materials to be reflective of the changes in HB 4103.
Trenton’s Law will now go to Governor Tina Kotek’s desk for signature.
