E-bikes are an environmental dream — except out in nature

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The boom in electric-powered bicycling is reducing car travel, lowering carbon emissions and introducing homebodies to exercise and the great outdoors. But the activity is on a collision course with an equally cherished environmental ideal: peace and quiet. In response to a new state policy that allows e-bikes anywhere that standard bikes are permitted, local officials are racing to ban their use on unpaved routes in open space preserves. On Monday, the city of Palo Alto voted 5-2 to prohibit them from the popular Baylands Trail, beloved for its sweeping views of the South ...