San Clemente city officials are upping their electric bicycle regulations as cities across Orange County grapple with how to best handle the growing population of e-bike riders.
The Spanish Village by the Sea already banned e-bikes on the beach, pier and coastal trials. The new rules prohibit dangerous riding, including traveling with passengers on an e-bike and performing stunts like wheelies.
[Read: San Clemente Bans E-Bikes on Beach, Pier and Coastal Trails]
The changes also require businesses that rent or sell e-bikes to provide the customer with a copy of the city ordinance.
“I’m thrilled with this,” Councilmember Mark Enmeier said during Aug. 20 council meeting. “It’s something we’ve been waiting for. I’m happy that it’s here.
San Clemente’s new e-bike regulations will also make parents equally liable if their child violates the city code. If a minor is cited, their parents will be equally liable and responsible for any fees or fines.
Councilmember Steve Knoblock specifically asked to get parents more involved to try and encourage kids to ride safely.
“The goal of the ordinance is to have calm and peaceful conduct on the streets,” Knoblock said. “The parents, knowing that they’re responsible, might give them more impetus to talk to their kids and make sure they’re conducting themselves properly.”
The ordinance passed unanimously and will need to return to the council for a second vote before it can go into effect.
“Our kids need to be safer on the roads,” Enmeier said. “We need to be doing all that we can to protect them. That, combined with creating safer streets and bike lanes and other accessibility for them — this is a huge improvement to the public safety of our community.”
Councilmember Chris Duncan said his kids ride e-bikes and the stricter rules will make parents rethink about how their children use e-bikes.
“As difficult as it may be to be paying fines for my kids, I think it’s actually going to be a helpful tool for parents to add to the strength of their guidance to the child,” Duncan said.
E-Bike Regulation An Issue Across Orange County
Cities across the county have been grappling with e-bike regulation as different cities come up with different rules.
Over the past several years, residents have complained to local leaders that people are misusing the bikes in a dangerous way.
In response, OC Supervisors approved new e-bike rules that set speed limits and make “unsafe operations” illegal.
[Read: Orange County Supervisors Crack Down on E-Bikes]
So many different rules prompted a grand jury investigation that called out the different sets of rules across the county’s 34 cities.
About half the cities in Orange County don’t have any e-bike laws.
Grand jurors said the inconsistency and significant differences of e-bike laws across the county make it difficult for enforcement.
[Read: Orange County Grand Jury Blasts Uncoordinated Regulation of E-Bikes]
“There is an urgent need to have consistent ordinances for the regulation and enforcement of safe E-Bike use in all cities, school districts, parks, and unincorporated areas,” OC Grand Jurors wrote in a report published in June. “There are significant differences in policy across cities.”
Angelina Hicks is a Voice of OC Tracy Wood Reporting Fellow. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.
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