E-Bikes, Parks & Safer Streets with Jim Stanton

In this episode of Mercer Matters, I sit down with longtime Mercer Island resident Jim Stanton, a member of the steering committee for Neighbors in Motion, a group that’s spent more than a decade advocating for safer cycling infrastructure on the island.We dig into the Parks Department’s recent proposal to restrict e-bikes in parks and open spaces — what was proposed, why a number of residents (myself included) showed up to push back, and where things stand after the Parks Commission hit the pause button at their January meeting.Jim and I also talk about the difference between e-bikes and e-motorcycles (it matters more than you’d think), the confusing signage around the island, why kids end up riding through parks in the first place, and what a better path forward might look like — including education, consistent signage, and the long-overdue Island Crest Way corridor project that would finally connect the island with a safe north-south bike route.Whether you’re a parent with kids on e-bikes, a cyclist, a pedestrian, or just someone trying to figure out what all the fuss is about — give this one a listen.Links: Mercer Island Parks & Recreation: https://www.mercerisland.gov/parksrec Parks & Recreation Commission (meetings, agendas, how to comment):https://www.mercerisland.gov/bc-parksandrecreationcommission Email the Parks Commission: [email protected] Email Parks Department staff: [email protected] | (206) 275–7609 Contact the City of Mercer Island: https://www.mercerisland.gov/contact | (206) 275–7600 Let’s Talk Mercer Island — Transportation Improvement Plan: https://letstalk.mercergov.org/tip–2026 Neighbors in Motion: http://www.neighborsinmotion.org/ | [email protected] MI Cycling Google Group: Search “MI-Cycling” on Google Groups