The new state legislation may outlaw any local rules that prohibit certain types of e-bikes on the Coastal Road, despite a decision by the Half Moon Bay City Council in April to do so.
Assembly Bill 1906 gave local jurisdictions the ability to ban class 1 and 2 e-bikes on bike paths. Assembly Bill 1909, which was signed by the governor last year, amended that law and removed that ability, according to Matt Nichols, Public Works and Sustainability management analyst, in an informative update at the City Council on October 17.
Class 3 e-bikes were prohibited on recreational trails unless local jurisdictions specifically chose to allow them under AB 1906. AB 1909 removed this specific language, making legal permits for class 3 e-bikes darker.
“It removed the language that had previously allowed jurisdictions to ban class 1-3 e-bikes on trails and bike paths,” Nichols said of AB 1909, which also currently allows local jurisdictions of the control of e-bikes on hiking and recreation trails. . “Because of AB 1909 and its implications, staff has had to reevaluate and think of new ways to create a safe and welcoming coastal path.”
Current staff recommendations for Coastal Trail e-bike safety include speed limits; share road signs; and board and education efforts for residents.
Class 1 bikes provide assistance up to 20 mph and are pedal assist only, meaning the motor takes over while you pedal the bike. Class 2 bikes have the same top speed, but are also equipped with a throttle, which means that it is not necessary to pedal. Class 3 bikes provide assistance up to 28 mph and are pedal assist only.
Deputy Debbie Ruddock said that after listening to the city’s lawyers and looking at the legal text of the bill, she accepts that the council probably does not have jurisdiction to ban class 1 and 2 e-bikes on the track, although there is flexibility around the class. 3.
“I’d like to see us become more of a bike-friendly community,” he said. “I think the horse is out of the stable.”
Mayor Deborah Penrose said that while she has no interest in seeing e-bikes on Coastal Road, it doesn’t seem like the city could ban them without challenging the state, which doesn’t have enough money to do so. .
“We’re stuck, I’m stuck,” he said. “It’s not just public safety, it’s the ability of someone like myself to be able to walk next to the ocean without having to watch myself against what’s going on behind me, what could hurt me, or kill me , or mutilate me.”
Ruddock emphasized that many residents already use e-bikes in Half Moon Bay, and said the council should instead focus on education, safety and damage prevention; and the positives of reducing carbon emissions through cycling.
Ruddock also voiced a suggestion discussed throughout the meeting — having paved and unpaved trails to alleviate safety concerns and make the Coastal Trail ADA standard.
Council member Robert Brownstone said the concept of a bike-friendly community requires more sophisticated bike lanes laid out for commuters, but he doesn’t believe the Coastal Road has the capacity for that.
“The city of Paris banned e-bikes after years of being the cause of all the accidents, so yes, it can be put back in the box,” he said. “I think we should at least make it mandatory to have a bell on your bike.”
Vice Mayor Joaquin Jimenez expressed concerns about going beyond education and being able to enforce e-bike speed limits.
“Education alone is difficult,” said Jimenez. “I’ve seen it happen, where someone is riding a road bike pretty fast and they get upset when a person walking takes too long to get away.”
He said he would be in favor of a pilot program to see if people adhere to a speed limit of 15 mph.
“I don’t want to say yes, but I don’t want to say no … but maybe we can really try this,” he said. “I would like to see some quotes [for] ride your bike too fast, even if it’s not an electric bike.”
Half Moon Bay residents both for and against allowing e-bikes on the Coastal Road also came to the meeting to voice concerns, with former mayor Mike Ferreira echoing the apprehension for the feasibility of the application.
“If there are speed limits, we need to consider how they will be enforced,” he said. “There has always been a conflict between bicycles and pedestrians, and the growing popularity of e-bikes exacerbates this.”
Drafting of an ordinance around education, enforcement and potential speed limits will continue with input from the Parks and Recreation Commission.
