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More Orange County cities are cracking down on e-bike use, citing public safety concerns as the bikes have cemented themselves as a popular mode of transportation from kids to adults.
Earlier this month, Buena Park became the latest city to create new rules to better regulate e-bikes that are operating unsafely on sidewalks and public roads after complaints have spiked from residents since the pandemic.
For years, individual municipalities have been writing up new rules to handle unruly e-bike riders that are posing safety concerns for pedestrians on trails and roads throughout the county.
Currently under California law, cities aren’t allowed to create ordinances outright banning e-bikes or require a license to ride one.
The California Vehicle Code classifies an e-bike as a bicycle equipped with an electric motor less than 750 watts, ranging from top speeds anywhere from 20 mph to 28 mph.
It’s an issue that’s been perplexing local leaders, figuring out how to handle the rise of e-bikes while giving police departments the proper direction to tackle a growing public safety issue.
The issue also caught the attention of the OC Supervisors last year, when they laid out county regulations on a new speed limit for e-bikes and better defined what is considered an e-bike, among other things.
They also called cities to enact similar ordinances.
[Read: Orange County Supervisors Crack Down on E-Bikes]
Not long after, an OC Grand Jury report last June called out the lack of consistent e-bike regulations and enforcement throughout the county – highlighting that little tracking has been done related to traffic accidents, injuries and police reports involving e-bikes.
Some cities had no e-bike regulations, according to last year’s county jury investigation.
[Read: Orange County Grand Jury Blasts Uncoordinated Regulation of E-Bikes]
New e-bikes rules in Buena Park
At the Feb. 11 regular meeting, Buena Park City Council members voted unanimously to update their city regulations for e-bikes, implementing a speed limit of 28 mph for e-bikes and requiring adults to ride on the streets.
But if you’re 18 years of age and younger, riding on the sidewalk is still ok.
This came after city officials directed city staff last September to look into weighing their options on an ordinance that cracks down on unsafe riders following a rise in resident complaints.
[Read: Buena Park Looks To Crack Down on E-bikes]
Prior to the amended city code, there was pushback from some elected officials on how to properly enforce a new e-bike ordinance.
In the past, city officials have been critical of e-bike usage in Buena Park, stating concerns of increased traffic accidents and public safety for residents, including Councilwoman Susan Sonne.
However, Councilman Carlos Franco said that the city ought to allow minors to ride an e-bike on the sidewalk, leaving out the possibility of a worse accident potentially occurring on city streets.
“Let’s take this opportunity to teach them responsibility, and to yield to pedestrians as the state law requires cyclists to do,” Franco said during the Feb. 11 city council meeting.
Echoing his council colleague, Councilman Connor Traut said that kids and teens using an e-bike to and from school should be allowed to ride on a sidewalk.
“I don’t think our streets are safe enough,” Traut said, adding he did not “feel confident” in outright banning e-bikes from sidewalks.
During the same meeting, Mayor Joyce Ahn said prohibiting e-bikes to strictly street use is a problem for children.
“I just think of rowdy teenagers versus a six-year-old. Case by case, things can be different,” she said.
Updating Laws in Laguna Hills
In South Orange County, city officials at Laguna Hills are laying the groundwork to bolster their city regulations on e-bikes to start cracking down on reckless behavior.
Last month, Laguna Hills City Council members directed city staff to look into updating their city codes for a future ordinance, emphasizing a need for better public safety without solely punishing unruly riders.
“We don’t want to penalize kids for being kids,” said Councilwoman Erica Pezold at the Jan. 28 city council meeting.
Pezold called on city staff to come back to City Council with an ordinance after holding public workshops to hear from school districts, residents and community members on what’s the best option for Laguna Hills.
She added that barring e-bikes from sidewalk usage only alienates community members and residents from going to parks or traversing city streets.
The rest of her council colleagues agreed on presenting the potential e-bike ordinance at a town hall event before being brought back for a City Council vote.
Other e-bike Ordinances in OC
The trend to implement or update city traffic codes has led to some issues for police departments and other code enforcement alike, since different cities have different rules.
This was part of the critique from the county grand jury’s investigation last year, that hardly any two ordinances among any city agency are the same.
“Training and education on E-bike use and safety varies from city to city causing
confusion amongst bike riders,” read the OC Grand Jury report.
Last September, Fountain Valley amended their municipal codes to start issuing permits for minors wanting to ride an e-bike to school.
These permits would be given to students who are accompanied by parents after completing a training program held by Fountain Valley Police Department and local schools.
Fountain Valley City Council members voted unanimously in favor of this program.
Meanwhile, in cities like San Clemente, the city amended their codes last year to require businesses to provide customers with a copy of the city’s updated e-bike ordinance.
[Read: San Clemente Tightens E-Bike Regulations]
In response to the OC Grand Jury report last June, police departments across the county are now beginning to track e-bike data, including accident reports.
“Due to the increasing incidence of E-bike injuries and deaths, there is a need for consistent and accurate tracking by law enforcement and first responders, which does not exist now,” read the report.
Hugo Rios is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. Contact him at hugo.toni.rios@gmail.com or on Twitter @hugoriosss.
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