City Council Examining Ways to Address E-Bike Dangers

On October 22nd, the City Council voted unanimously to take another stab at dealing with the fallout from the soaring popularity of e-bikes, especially among youngsters in the City.
 
Vice Mayor Larry Agran brought the matter back to the Council, which last year passed an ordinance regulating e-bikes.
 
“I don’t have to tell anyone what a challenge the proliferation of e-bkes has become,” Agran said. He and pubic commenters on the issue noted safety issues involving pedestrians and pedal cyclists on sidewalks and trails and at shopping centers, and involving street traffic near schools.
 
Agran noted that new laws have been passed this year by the State Legislature regarding e-bikes, and he moved to have the City staff review what “residual authority” the City may still have in areas like training requirements; licenses; restrictions on e-bike modifications; restrictions on locations and directions of travel by e-bikes; and enhanced penalties for violations of City ordinances and regulations.
 
Agran also asked the City Manager, City Attorney and Chief of Police to review options for stepped-up enforcement of local and state e-bike laws.
 
City Manager Oliver Chi said that the City and the Irvine Police Department have had an ambitious program in the first year of the City’s e-bike ordinance to reach e-bike riders in the City, especially students, with safety information and training, and that their efforts more recently have begun to shift to enforcement.
 
Mayor Farrah Khan and Councilmember Mike Carroll noted that the State Legislature has restricted what local governments can do about e-bikes but has moved slowly in enacting its own measures. So far, “Sacramento has completely and utterly failed local communities” on the issue, said Carroll.

Councilmember Tammy Kim suggested the City begin using drones and geo-fencing as a way to increase surveillance of Irvine communities. Instead, the Council voted 5-0 for Agran’s motion, with the staff being directed to come back with a report to the Council at its November 26th meeting.