Granby Bans E-Bikes From Town Parks

GRANBY, CT — E-bikes are no longer allowed inside Granby's town parks under a new restriction announced by town officials.

The town announced the change Sept. 4, saying e-bikes present a hazard when used on walking paths and around pedestrians.

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People riding e-bikes to Salmon Brook Park should leave them near the tennis courts at the park entrance, according to the announcement.

The restriction applies to properties designated as town parks under Granby's parks ordinance. Those include Salmon Brook Park, Ahrens Park, the Town Green, the Granby Municipal Complex and open-space fields at Massaco Lane and Salmon Brook Street and at Brook Pasture Lane and East Street.

Salmon Brook Park, located at 215 Salmon Brook St., is a 116-acre recreation area with ball fields, basketball and tennis courts, playgrounds, a dog park, a swimming pond and other facilities. The park also hosts athletic competitions, concerts and other community events.

Ahrens Park is a 55-acre property at 53 Hungary Road with athletic fields, community gardens and a pavilion.

The town's announcement did not identify a particular incident that prompted the restriction or say whether officials had received complaints about e-bikes in the parks. It also did not distinguish between different classes of e-bikes.

Granby's existing park ordinance allows the town manager, a designee or police to remove people who violate park regulations. A person who is expelled may not return to a town park for 24 hours and could be excluded for a longer period following notice and a hearing.

The ordinance also allows fines of up to $250 for park-rule violations. The town did not say whether those penalties will be used to enforce the new e-bike restriction.

More information about Granby's parks is available on the town's parks webpage. The Parks and Recreation Department can be reached at 860-844-5289.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.