Mebane, NC Mobility & Curb Rules: E-Bike Classes (2026)

Section 34-131 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Mebane, North Carolina, adopted by Ordinance No. OA-24-02 on September 9, 2024, adopts the electric-assisted bicycle and vehicle definitions set out in G.S. 20-4.01 as part of the city's traffic article, so a Mebane e-bike is whatever North Carolina's statute currently defines it to be rather than a locally invented category. Section 34-134 then sets the operating rules: every bicycle, electric-assisted bicycle and motorized scooter must comply with the vehicle equipment and safety requirements of G.S.

Chapter 20, and any operator under age 16 must wear a protective helmet while riding. The section draws a sharp geographic line for sidewalk use: riding a bicycle, electric-assisted bicycle or motorized scooter on a sidewalk inside the city's Central Business District is prohibited outright, while riding on a sidewalk anywhere else in Mebane is allowed as long as the rider does not exceed 15 miles per hour. Law enforcement officers and city maintenance staff are exempt while performing official duties. Section 34-135 layers on right-of-way rules once an e-bike is on the roadway, giving e-bikes in a marked bike lane the right-of-way over vehicles turning across that lane, and Section 34-138 caps the civil penalty for violating any of these bicycle and e-bike provisions at no more than $50.00 per infraction. The rules took effect with the September 2024 ordinance, which repealed and replaced the city's older bicycle-only division.