Massachusetts officials are racing to bring some legal clarity to e-scooters, e-bikes and other new electric vehicles that are growing in popularity faster than the rules meant to govern them.

Why it matters: Massachusetts ranks fifth in the nation for road congestion, while 57% of all in-state trips are three miles or shorter.

• 80% of those short trips are still made by car, but small, cheap, personal electric vehicles are beginning to fill the gap.

What they're saying: "It's like corralling the Wild West," MassDOT board member Rick Dimino said after a presentation on "micromobility," the catch-all term applied to these vehicles, at a board meeting in February.

• "The words that people use to talk about these devices are confusing. The terms that the public uses are different from what's in Massachusetts general law or regulation," Chief Innovation Officer Kris Carter told the board.

The big picture: The legislature set up a Special Commission on Micromobility that issued 16 policy recommendations to safely integrate e-bikes, scooters and similar devices into the state's already-choked transportation network.

Zoom in: A study of the state's $5 million e-bike rebate program targeting lower-income residents found 85% of riders replaced car trips with their new bikes.

State of play: The commission wants the state to adopt a four-tier, speed-based classification system:

• Tier 0 (0–20 mph): Standard e-bikes and scooters.
• Tier 1 (21–30 mph): Class 3 e-bikes and mopeds.
• Tier 2 (31–40 mph): Limited-use motorcycles.
• Tier 3 (41+ mph): Full motorcycles.

Of note: Devices in Tier 1 and above would be required to show a "micro ID" decal for law enforcement identification.

• Helmets would be mandatory on Tier 1 vehicles and up.
• There would be a minimum riding age of 16 and bans on faster mopeds in bike lanes.

Between the lines: A 13-year-old was killed in Stoneham after a collision involving a high-powered electric dirt bike. It's the kind of vehicle routinely misclassified as an "e-bike."

• That led to House Speaker Ron Mariano calling for tighter enforcement, something the Legislature has been mulling for the better part of a decade.

What's next: The commission's recommendations should now go before the legislature for votes.

The bottom line: Without some kind of state action, MassDOT officials warn Massachusetts risks retaining a growing parallel transportation system operating in, as one MassDOT board member put it, "complete chaos."

Tell a friend with a scooter

Massachusetts saw more new homes for sale listed last month, per data released today by the state's real estate agents association.

The intrigue: Listings and sales typically increase in the spring, but the increase comes amid persistent high interest rates and rising costs.

By the numbers: Homebuyers listed 4,255 single-family homes and 2,681 condos in March, per the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

• That's a 1% increase in new single-family home listings and a 17.2% increase in new condo listings compared to March 2025.

What they're saying: "A lot of people are tired of waiting," says Kristen Keegan, MAR's president. "While they're waiting for interest rates to come down, the property values keep increasing. So it's a catch-22 there."

Yes, but: The total number of houses on the market remains lower than in 2025, and closings continue to decline.

• 2,179 single-family homes closed last month, down 2.2% from this time last year.
• 1,189 condos sold then, down 1.3% from last year.

The median sales price for single-family homes was $655,000, more than 4% higher than last March.

• The median sales price for condos fell to $537,000, 1.5% lower than last March.

Tell a prospective homebuyer

🏀 The Celtics won their last regular-season game against the Orlando Magic yesterday, 113-108, despite missing several key players. (MassLive)

The Trump administration fired Roopal Patel, the immigration court judge who blocked the feds from deporting Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk last year. (Globe)

A person was killed in a hit-and-run Saturday morning at Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard. (Boston.com)

Bob Hall, the Boston Marathon's first wheelchair champion and last year's grand marshal, died yesterday at age 74. (WCVB)

🏒 The Bruins made the playoffs despite the team's 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. (NBC Boston)

🏡 Cambridge has narrowed eligibility for HomeBridge, a program that helps middle- and low-income residents buy homes, after record demand. (Cambridge Day)

• The program is now open to families earning 60-100% of the median family income, after previously taking those earning up to 120%.

Greater Boston is home to some of the biggest films, from "The Departed" to "Legally Blonde."

• Now we want you to decide which is the best.

The first round is a battle between award-winning films like "The Holdovers" and "Spotlight" and beloved cult classics like "Hocus Pocus" and "Legally Blonde."

• It also pits Matt Damon against Ben Affleck in the matchup between "Good Will Hunting" and "The Town."

Cast your vote for the first round here.

Tuesday, 4/14

🎻 The Boston Symphony Orchestra will perform Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 at Symphony Hall, 6:30-8:30pm.

• Price: $68+.

Wednesday, 4/15

🤖 Bar Moxy hosts the "AI Startup Networking & Founder Pitch Night" in Boston, 7-10pm.

Thursday, 4/16

🎤 Catch "An Evening with David Sedaris" at Boston Symphony Hall, 7:30pm.

Friday, 4/17

🎶 The king of Bachata, Romeo Santos and Prince Royce perform at TD Garden, 8pm.

• Price: $284+.

🎵 Meanwhile, the Substation is hosting its free music session, "The Listening Room: Nurture the Seed," with Cuban artists Christopher Carlos Montejo y Los Mambiseros, 8-10pm.

Saturday, 4/18

🎶 Vinyl Index in Bow Market hosts a Record Store Day bash with a music party in the courtyard, 12-6pm.

• Find more DJs upstairs and local DIY art projects.

Sunday, 4/19

🎸 Florence + The Machine's "Everybody Scream" tour stops at TD Garden, 7:30pm.

• Price: $167+.

Greater Boston is experiencing a "post-boom hangover" in life sciences real estate.

The big picture: Life sciences hubs, especially the Boston and San Francisco areas, saw new supply outpacing shrinking demand for lab space over the past five years, per a recent report from the real estate brokerage firm Savills.