I also would be pretty unhappy if I couldn't ride my electrically-assisted bicycle (has a "motor" but one must pedal it) in bike lanes or paths. It is quiet, the size and shape of a regular bicycle, and the assist fades out as it approaches a speed of about 17 mph, so it does not endanger or inconvenience other users of such lanes/paths. As a matter of fact, using it, I cannot keep up with really strong people who are riding un-assisted bikes. But for those of us who are not very strong, the electric assist makes bicycle-commuting far more feasible, especially when the commute is long and hilly (relative to the person's strength - in my case the commute is 9 hilly miles each way).