CHV rule banning e-bikes on trails was adopted in 2021
Freda Miklin reports Cherry Hills Village applied its motorized-vehicle trail ban to e-bikes in 2021 and will restudy it in 2027.
Freda Miklin ·
Cherry Hills Village has had a longstanding prohibition against motorized vehicles on its trails. In 2021, when e-bikes started to become more popular, the CHV City Council decided that the rule applied to them.
As e-bikes have become increasingly popular, the city asked its Parks, Trails & Recreation Commission to look at the question again and bring its recommendation to city council. That question is on PTR Commission’s agenda for 2027, and many expect it will result in a recommendation to make changes to the current policy, given the popularity of e-bikes.
The speed limit for all bikes on trails in CHV is 15 mph. CHV police have had radar out on its trails, as well as variable speed signs that indicate when someone is exceeding the speed limit. Officers also sometimes patrol the trails but they are there primarily to educate citizens about the rules, not write citations. CHV Communications & Outreach Coordinator Denise White told The Villager that the city receives occasional e-mails from residents both in support of allowing e-bikes on its trails and in support of keeping them off the trails.
Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village are both known for their multiple parks and trails. The High Line Canal Trail spans just over five miles in GV and 3.75 miles in CHV.
In 2017, the state of Colorado adopted three classification systems for e-bikes by statute, which automatically granted Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes the default right to operate on bike paths and pedestrian trails across the state, unless banned by specific municipalities.
On March 2, 2026, Greenwood Village adopted rules prohibiting higher speed Class 3 e-bikes, along with low-power e-scooters and e-dirt bikes from all city paths, trails, and sidewalks. Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes are permitted in GV, under state law, and the city did nothing to change that. GV has been clear that it will strictly enforce its 15-mph speed limit for trails, including the High Line Canal Trail.
On August 11, the City of Centennial unanimously passed an ordinance on first reading that contains rules for e-bikes and other electric vehicles that are very similar to those of Greenwood Village. The ordinance will be on the city council agenda for a public hearing on August 18.
Print source: The Villager, Vol. 44 No. 39, Aug. 20, 2026, page 1. Issuu edition. Cover story. The photo credit in print is “Photo by Rüveyda.” This digital package does not reproduce that photograph.