Pedicabs

I’m a member of the Transportation Licensing Commission which regulates, among other things, scooter/bike share and pedicabs. TLC has a rule that pedicabs are not to use bike lanes.  AFAIK there is no other legal prescription against them  using a bike lane. They are electric and I think meet the definition of an e-bike in the state law (TCA 55-8-301).  Some in the industry want the TLC to change it’s rule.  

Any thoughts on this issue?

It’s being discussed on the Nashville Cyclist reddit group. The pro and cons are listed below as presented on Reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/nashvillecyclists/comments/1srb3ex/pedicabs/

Carey Rogers

Bill to Ban eBikes Passed

The bill allowing local governments to ban e-bikes passed with no problem.

https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/114/pub/pc0651.pdf

Carey

Feeling sad and outraged at the same time.

The Feds Want Your eBike

Not really but who trusts those people? People for Bikes, the industry group, is supporting the legislation.  If you’re familiar with the three-class e-bike model that legislation came from PfB. The confusion over e-bikes and electric motorbikes/motorcycles is causing the problem (I think). They were working on a bill in California.

Article on E-Moto Bill

Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes, said the bill would direct the Consumer Product Safety Commission to gather and analyze data about incidents involving the many e-mobility products under its jurisdiction, and adopt clear classification and labeling requirements for these devices, including consideration of the three recognized classes of low-speed electric bicycles.

"This legislation marks important progress towards understanding and mitigating the hazards posed by e-motos, the higher-speed electric motorized vehicles that are sold as off-road electric dirt bikes, but often end up being inappropriately used on public roads by young riders," Dice said. 

The state legislature wants cities and counties to take your e-bike. This lousy bill passed the House 72-21-1 and the Senate 30-0.  One Davidson County Senator apologized for voting for it. Rep. Aftyn Behn also wrote me a very insightful analysis of the bill. Kudos to her. The Governor hasn’t signed it yet but that’s a formality. It goes into effect July 1. The bill came from Williamson County so it will be interesting to see if anyone pushes it down there.

SB 1782 – HB 1712

Carey 

eBike Ban Update

Here’s the situation as of 4 March 2026.

SB1782 – HB 1712 was introduced by two representatives from Williamson County, Senator Jack Johnson and Representative Lee Reeves. The amended bill would allow local governments to ban class 1 and class 2 e-bikes and does ban class 3 unless a local government specifically allows them. It also raises the age to ride a class 3 to 16 y/o.

The senate bill is now on the floor of the Senate Thursday March 4

Banning eBikes

There’s a bill in the legislature that could ban e-bikes, so I’m sounding the alarm.

I am writing to everyone who has shown an interest in these bills (or should be interested). This was done rather quickly, so excuse the crude exposition.

Here’s the situation as of 20 February 2026.

Bicyclist Hand Signals

A new state law in 2026 requires new drivers to learn bicyclist hand signals 

The cyclist ahead of you puts her left arm out straight. What does that mean? If you're seeking a driver's license in Tennessee in 2026, you will be required to know that she is signaling a left turn. On January 1st, SB1420 went into effect, requiring new drivers to learn hand signals. Besides being used for cycling, hand signals can also be used for cars without working turn signals. Read more here.

Nashville BPAC, Second Annual Report

Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission

December 31, 2025

Dear Mayor O’Connell and Members of the Metropolitan Council, 

We are pleased to submit the second annual report of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), pursuant to MCL Section 2.153.040(C).