WASHINGTON — The National Park Service is proposing changes to federal regulations that could make it easier to allow bicycles and electric bicycles on roads, parking areas and trails throughout the National Park System.

The proposed rule, announced Monday, would eliminate some procedural reviews and requirements that the agency says can delay decisions on bicycle access. The goal is to establish a more consistent process for determining where traditional bicycles and e-bikes may be used. 

The proposal does not automatically open every national park trail to bicycles or e-bikes. Rather, it would change the regulatory process park officials use when considering bicycle access and give managers a streamlined framework for making those decisions.

Current National Park Service regulations already allow park superintendents to permit e-bikes in locations where traditional bicycles are allowed. The agency’s existing e-bike rules date to 2020. 

Jessica Bowron, who is exercising the delegated authority of National Park Service director, said the proposed rule is intended to simplify bicycle and e-bike access while allowing individual parks to manage their resources efficiently.

The Park Service said the proposal is consistent with several executive orders issued by President Donald Trump aimed at expanding recreational access to national parks and reducing federal regulatory requirements. 

The proposal comes as the agency has made several recent changes involving bicycles and other forms of personal transportation. Earlier in August, the Park Service adopted a separate rule establishing regulations for powered micromobility devices such as e-scooters, hoverboards and Segways. 

The bicycle and e-bike proposal will be open for 60 days of public review and comment before the agency decides whether to adopt a final rule.

Information from a release. Edited by Dan McDermott.