Riverhead adopted new rules Tuesday for electric scooters and electric bicycles, including age limits, helmet requirements, speed restrictions and enforcement provisions, while town officials clarified that the new law does not permit e-bikes on the EPCAL recreation trail.
The Town Board voted 5-0 to adopt the local law amending Chapter 213 of the Riverhead Town Code, now titled “Bicycles and Electric Scooters,” to add bicycles with electric assist to the article regulating electric scooters.
The law allows electric scooters and e-bikes to be operated on public roads, subject to town rules. It bars electric scooter operation above 15 mph and e-bike operation above 20 mph. It also prohibits both from roadways with posted speed limits above 30 mph, requires operators to wear helmets, requires riders traveling in groups to ride single file and prohibits carrying passengers.
The law also restricts electric scooters and e-bikes on sidewalks within the downtown area, except in designated parking areas. It prohibits electric scooters from operating between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise. E-bikes may be operated during those hours if they comply with lighting requirements.
No one 15 or younger may operate an electric scooter or e-bike on public property or on roadways under the new law.
The law also prohibits reckless operation, fleeing from police or traffic control officers and operating while intoxicated or impaired by alcohol or drugs. Violations are punishable by up to 15 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $500. Certain violations may result in immediate seizure and impoundment of the scooter or e-bike, plus an additional fine of up to $1,500.
Parents or legal guardians of minors found guilty of violating the law are responsible for fines and restitution for damage to town property.
The board adopted the law after Calverton resident George Bartunek raised concerns that it could be interpreted to allow Class 2 e-bikes on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Recreation Trail at EPCAL.
Bartunek said the trail was developed over the course of two decades as a non-motorized, family-oriented recreational path. He read from earlier planning and grant materials describing the trail as a non-motorized fitness and recreation trail for bicyclists, walkers, runners and other users.
Council Member Ken Rothwell said the e-bike law was intended primarily to protect children using electric bikes and scooters on streets, citing head injuries as a concern across Long Island.
Rothwell said further review found a separate section of town code that still bars “engine-operated” transportation on town recreation trails. Town Attorney Erik Howard agreed, saying the Chapter 213 amendment does not conflict with the existing town code section prohibiting engine-operated transportation on recreation trails, except for law enforcement.
“By passing this resolution tonight, it’s not really going to change anything on the EPCAL trail itself,” Rothwell said.
Bartunek later told the board he had recently encountered a man riding a Class 3 e-bike on the trail who believed e-bikes were allowed there. Bartunek said he is sympathetic to older riders who want access to the trail, but warned that allowing e-bikes, especially Class 2 e-bikes, would also open the trail to younger and potentially less responsible riders.
“I am sympathetic,” Bartunek said. “But the fact of the matter is, if e-bikes, especially Class 2 e-bikes were allowed on that trail, you’re not going to have just responsible people.”
Action on Island Water Park amended site plan
The board also voted Tuesday to approve part of Island Water Park’s latest amended site plan application for Scott’s Pointe in Calverton while denying a requested change to restrictions on the park’s go-kart track.
The board issued a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review Act and granted preliminary site plan approval for a zipline across the man-made lake, temporary floating docks for battery-powered bumper boats, amended covenant language allowing battery-powered motorized watercraft on the lake and a fire suppression well.
The board denied the applicant’s request to amend covenants and restrictions governing the go-kart track.
See separate story: Riverhead OKs new water attractions at Scott’s Pointe, but rejects drifting events on go-kart track (June 17)
The board also held a public hearing on proposed changes to the town’s site plan review process. Senior town planner Matt Charters said the proposal would streamline what he described as an atypical three-step process and remove certain land-use application fees from the town code so they can be set by Town Board resolution.
Proposed site plan review amendments aired
Civic and environmental advocates said they did not oppose streamlining, but warned that eliminating preliminary site plan review could push meaningful public input too late in the process. Speakers urged the board to make pre-submission conferences mandatory, open to public comment and recorded or televised if preliminary review is eliminated.
See separate story: Public input concerns raised over proposed Riverhead site plan review changes (June 17)
In other action Tuesday:
The board also supported new speed limits on Northville Turnpike, County Road 43, following a Suffolk County Department of Public Works traffic study.
The resolution supports a 30 mph speed limit on Northville Turnpike from Roanoke Avenue to Oliver Street and a 40 mph speed limit from Doctors Path to Sound Avenue. The study reviewed traffic volume data, spot speed studies, crash history and expert analysis, according to the resolution.
The board set a July 7 public hearing on a proposed parking prohibition near Twomey Avenue and Sound Avenue to address sightline obstructions caused by vehicles parking too close to the intersection. The proposal would prohibit parking on both sides of Sound Avenue for 200 feet east and west of Twomey Avenue, and on both sides of Twomey Avenue for 200 feet south of Sound Avenue.
The board also ratified authorization for the town attorney to commence legal action against 400 David Court LLC over access to a town easement used for U.S. Open parking operations at EPCAL.
See separate story: Court order preserves U.S. Open parking plan at EPCAL amid property dispute (June 10)
Live music at South Jamesport beach, fireworks at Riverhead Raceway and more
Other resolutions adopted Tuesday included approval of live music at South Jamesport Beach, fire prevention operating permit fees, special event applications, fireworks applications for Riverhead Raceway, a license agreement for floating upweller systems in East Creek, short-term runway use agreements for Race Track Not Street summer and fall motorsports events, a South Jamesport Beach concession stand agreement and an agreement with Winship Media LLC for parking police personnel and police cars for Jazz in the Vines.
The board also approved a special event application for a Friends of Ken Rothwell concert event at Jamesport Farm Brewery on Sept. 18. Rothwell abstained from that vote. All other board members voted yes.
The board adopted numerous capital project closure resolutions, including projects related to Town Square properties, ARPA security camera installations, Downtown Revitalization Round 18, the EPCAL emergency access road, state road resurfacing programs, park improvements, sewer district projects and water district projects. It also approved 2025 budget transfers, personnel appointments and amended employment terms for several positions.
CAP peer leaders and Riverhead Youth Coalition recognized
Earlier in the meeting, the board recognized CAP peer leaders and Riverhead Youth Coalition seniors from Riverhead High School. Council Member Denise Merrifield, the board liaison to CAP, praised the students’ work on substance-abuse prevention, public service announcements, medication take-back efforts and prevention programs at Pulaski Street School.
Merrifield said CAP has collected more than 14,000 pounds of unused, unwanted and expired medication since 2014.
Two police officers promoted to sergeant
The board also promoted police officers Cole Montefusco and Travis Wooten to sergeant. The vote was unanimous, and Chief Ed Frost administered the oaths of office.
Public comments
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Warren McKnight urged town officials to raise the lack of bathroom facilities and bus shelters at the Riverhead train station and bus hub with the MTA. He said people waiting near the station need bathrooms, a changing station and shelter from sun and weather.
Toqui Terchun, president of the Greater Calverton Civic Association, echoed McKnight’s concerns about seating and conditions at the train station area. Terchun also thanked members of the Calverton Restoration Advisory Board for pressing the Navy on cleanup issues related to former Navy and Grumman operations at EPCAL.
Kern asked the civic association to send a letter to the Navy urging that Suffolk County officials, including the county health department, remain involved in technical meetings related to the cleanup.
Other comments touched on the Scott’s Pointe vote, ICE-related questions and the public record for the town’s eminent domain action involving 111 E. Main St., the proposed new home of the Long Island Science Center.
Claudette Bianco of Baiting Hollow thanked the board for their decision not to allow automobiles on the go-kart track at Scott’s Pointe. Laura Jens-Smith of Laurel also thanked the board for its decision on the application.
John McAuliff of Riverhead raised concerns about future ICE operations in the local area, given the approval by Congress of $70 billion in funding for ICE. He asked whether there has been “any movement” by the town on the request by OLA to meet with the board to discuss its proposed public safety legislation.
McAuliff also asked about the timing of the closing of the sale of the town square property to builder Joe Petrocelli. Specifically, he asked whether the buyer would be closing before or after the relocation of the Davis-Corwin House, the East End Arts Council’s gallery building, which will be relocated as part of the creation of the lot being sold to Petrocelli for the development of his proposed hotel, and also as part of the flood mitigation plan for the entire East End Arts Council campus.
He also asked whether a parking lot on Osborn Avenue used by the aquarium, another Petrocelli project, could be used for hotel parking.
McAuliff got no answers from town officials to his questions.
Community Development Agency meeting
In the Community Development Agency meeting convened immediately after the Town Board meeting, the Town Board, which sits as the governing body of the Community Development Agency, accepted the 2025 audited financial statements of the agency. A resolution accepting the audited statements was unanimously adopted by the board without comment.
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