Draper residents who ride county trails in Butterfield or Yellow Fork canyons face new e-bike restrictions after a unanimous Salt Lake County Council vote Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The ordinance took effect immediately, KUTV reported. It applies to natural-surface trails in unincorporated Salt Lake County, including Butterfield and Yellow Fork canyons and Butterfield Trailhead Regional Park. Violators face a $150 civil fine.

Under the new rules, Class 1 e-bikes, which provide pedal assistance only and top out at 20 mph, remain permitted on gravel and dirt trails where traditional bikes are allowed. Class 2 e-bikes, which have a throttle, are banned from natural-surface trails. Class 3 e-bikes, which assist riders up to 28 mph, are banned from both multi-use pathways and nature trails.

All e-bikes are capped at 20 mph.

Salt Lake County Council Member Suzanne Harrison, who sponsored the ordinance, told KUTV the next steps include expanding the rules to all county regional parks and opening conversations with cities. Harrison said she hopes to broaden the law within about a month of the vote.

"We also have park rules that are under the discretion of our Salt Lake County mayor, and the goal would be to have those park rules reflect the ordinance so that people kind of understand where they can have fun and how," Harrison said.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that county officials met with local governments while drafting the ordinance so cities could consider updating their own e-bike rules. Draper was not among the cities named in those discussions.

Draper City already restricts e-bikes on its own trails. Under rules posted in May, the city bans Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes, motor-assisted scooters and e-motorcycles from trails, paths, parks and other public property within city limits. Only Class 1 e-bikes are allowed.

The county ordinance covers unincorporated land where no civil enforcement tool previously existed. Associate Deputy Mayor Lisa Hartman told the Salt Lake Tribune that before the ordinance, the Sheriff's Office could only pursue a criminal mischief charge against speeding e-bikers, which requires "an extremely high burden of proof."

Horseback rider Trent Woolston, who frequents Yellow Fork Canyon, described near-misses with e-bikes on the trail to KUTV. He said blind corners make it impossible to see what is coming and that e-bikes can tear up the trail surface.

The safety concerns extend statewide. Primary Children's Hospital recorded a 66.7% increase in e-bike injuries in a single year, with 60% of those patients not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, according to KUTV reporting on Utah Department of Public Safety data.

Harrison said at a Tuesday, Aug. 25, council meeting that the ordinance's goal is education, not enforcement, and that the $150 civil fine gives law enforcement a tool short of a criminal charge.

No Draper City official has commented publicly on whether the city plans to coordinate with the county on the expanded rules. Draper trail users who ride on county land in Butterfield or Yellow Fork canyons should note the restrictions are already in effect.