To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: JOE HOFFMAN, CHIEF OF POLICE
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DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING E-BIKE USE IN THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In December 2023, the City Council requested that the Police Department provide a six-month update on electric bicycle (e-bike) use in the City. The Police Department was directed to report back with an update on e-bike enforcement actions, community engagement efforts, public feedback on e-bikes, the current status of legislation, and the reestablishment of a bicycle diversion course through the Los Angeles (L.A.) County Courts system by the City Attorney’s Office.
BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, e-bikes have become increasingly popular in the City of Redondo Beach and surrounding areas due to the advantages they provide over traditional bicycles. With the surge in popularity and usage, the Police Department has seen an increase in complaints regarding e-bike riders violating traffic laws throughout the City. The usage and related traffic issues have become increasingly apparent as it pertains to the community’s youth, particularly students in middle school and high school, who operate e-bikes, but have not yet obtained a driver’s license.
Within the past six months, the Police Department has been actively enforcing laws concerning e-bikes, resulting in the issuance of over 100 e-bike citations. The primary infractions leading to these citations are absence of helmets, failure to stop at posted stop signs, and riding with passengers illegally. Additionally, the Police Department has partnered with the Hermosa Beach Police Department, Manhattan Beach Police Department, and the El Segundo Police Department to assist with a rotating monthly, multi-jurisdictional e-bike enforcement detail in each city. These varied enforcement techniques reflect the Police Department’s commitment to promoting safety and compliance among e-bike riders in the community.
Along with enforcement efforts, the Police Department conducted several community outreach events throughout the City to address e-bike concerns. These community outreach events included two town hall style meetings with one event hosted at Alta Vista Park and another at Anderson Park. The meetings were promoted through numerous channels, including South Bay Alert, Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor, and Ring Neighborhood Watch. These platforms notified tens of thousands of people to inform them about the outreach events.
The Police Department also attended business association meetings, typically comprised of local stakeholders, business owners, and City officials, including the North Redondo Beach Business Association and the Riviera Village Association. At these meetings, staff sought specific feedback from the membership to better understand how e-bike usage has impacted their businesses.
The Police Department hosted a joint Neighborhood Watch Block Captain/Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association meeting, and collected feedback regarding e-bikes from the members of these groups. This meeting was attended by approximately fifty members of each group.
On February 1, 2024, the Police Department used a social media poll to gather feedback from the community regarding the topic of e-bikes including: problems we face, potential legislation, community-based issues, and infrastructure solutions.
The Police Department hosted its own E-Bike Safety Seminar at Redondo Union High School which was aimed at parents and students who currently ride e-bikes, or may do so in the future. The training was promoted through numerous channels, including South Bay Alert, Facebook, Instagram, NextDoor, Ring Neighbors, and Neighborhood Watch. Again, these platforms reached tens of thousands of people about the seminar. Notice of the training was also disbursed through all of the Redondo Beach Unified School District channels, reaching all students and parents in the District. This seminar was attended by approximately twenty-five people. At the conclusion of the seminar, there was a live question and answer session with the attendees.
A Police Department Community Services Unit Officer met with two members of an e-bike recreation group known as “E CREW LA,” which is comprised of approximately four hundred total members. This was an informal discussion organized to obtain feedback from residents and patrons of Redondo Beach who heavily support the use of e-bikes for the benefits they provide.
The Police Department hosted a “Bicycle Rodeo” safety training course which was produced with funding from an Office of Traffic Safety Grant. Fifty-five children, ranging in ages from elementary to middle school, attended the training course, which consisted of classroom instruction and a practical scenario closed road course. All of the training was designed to provide education and safety tips to the children riding bicycles and e-bikes. The training day was concluded with a snow cone social, which was hosted by the Redondo Beach Police Department’s Community Services Unit.
After conducting these meetings and outreach to obtain community feedback, there were several common complaints and solutions proposed by the participants involved. Below is an outline and summary of the most frequent feedback received:
• Enforcement - The most common complaint was traffic law violations, mostly perceived as being committed by youthful or juvenile e-bike riders. Intuitively, the most common proposed solution was heavy enforcement by the Police Department. Most expressed concern that punishments were not adequate, and that parents of the juvenile violators should also be subject to some sort of consequence.
• Licensure/Education - The most common solution proposed was requiring some sort of education or licensure for riding an e-bike. Ideas on a more localized level were proposed. This included incentivizing local programs to educate riders on safety by managing privileges of juvenile riders (such as having to pass a class to be able to park an e-bike on a school campus). Ideas on a larger scale were also proposed, such as state laws requiring a driver’s license to be obtained to legally ride an e-bike.
• Infrastructure - The Police Department received feedback, yet to a lesser degree, regarding infrastructure changes, such as adapting a “bike-friendly” travel route map for the City that can be promoted and shared with residents and patrons. Infrastructure solutions that were suggested also included adding more substantial and accommodating bicycle lanes, and bicycle paths, throughout the City.
The City Council additionally requested a follow-up on the status of California Assembly Bill 530 (AB 530). AB 530, as written, would prohibit a person under 12 years of age from operating any class of e-bike. The bill would state the intent of the Legislature to create an e-bike license program with an online written test and a state-issued photo identification for those persons without a valid driver’s license, prohibit persons under 12 years of age from riding e-bikes, and create a stakeholders working group composed of the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Transportation Agency, bicycle groups, policy and fiscal staff, and other relevant stakeholders to work on recommendations to establish an e-bike training program and license.
Because AB 530 would prohibit certain persons from riding e-bikes, the violation of which would be a crime, the Bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. AB 530 would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.
On February 1, 2024 California Assembly Bill 530 failed at the Legislative Committee level.
On February 8, 2024, California Assembly Bill 2234 (AB 2234) was introduced. AB 2234 would issue a skills waiver containing specific information, in an electronic format, to each person who completes an e-bike safety and training program developed by the California Highway Patrol. AB 2234 would state the intent of the Legislature to create a diversion program, comprised of traffic safety training and community service, for a person who is cited for a traffic violation while operating an e-bike.
AB 2234 would also prohibit a person under 12 years of age from operating an electric bicycle of any class. Currently, a person under 16 years of age cannot operate a class 3 electric bicycle. The bill would require a person who does not possess a valid driver’s license to have an issued skills waiver, and a valid state-issued identification card in their immediate possession when operating an electric bicycle of any class.
AB 2234 is a pilot program only within the County or unincorporated areas of San Diego.
City Council requested that the City Attorney’s Office inquire about the reestablishment of the bicycle diversion program through the L.A. County Court system. Prior to 2020, the L.A. County Torrance Municipal Court’s Traffic Court allowed individuals who received bicycle traffic citations to attend a diversion program. Once the individual showed completion of the diversion course, their bicycle traffic citation would be dismissed. As the courts system began to return to normalcy after the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Torrance Traffic Court was moved to a different L.A. County Municipal Courthouse, and the bicycle diversion program no longer existed. The Redondo Beach City Attorney’s Office is in the process of coordinating with the L.A. County Court system on the possibility of reestablishing a bicycle diversion program.
Due to the increase in citizen complaints regarding e-bike riders violating traffic laws, two South Bay cities adopted urgency ordinances creating administrative penalties for violations, with fine amounts established through the respective cities governing bodies. The majority of the regulations adopted through the urgency ordinances duplicate existing laws found in the California Vehicle Code and/or the Redondo Beach Municipal Code.
In September of 2023, the City of Manhattan Beach City Council adopted an urgency ordinance amending the Manhattan Beach Municipal Code establishing a speed limit, safety and operational standards, and location restrictions for bicycles, e-bikes, and motorized bicycles. The City Council also established administrative fines associated with violations of this ordinance that are increased with each subsequent violation within one year. If the violation is committed by a minor, the minor’s parents may be cited and fined for the violations of the ordinance.
In June of 2024, the City of Hermosa Beach City Council adopted an urgency ordinance
amending the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code establishing safety and operational standards, location restrictions for e-bikes and any other electric motorized conveyance (i.e. motor-driven cycle, pocket bike or electric motorcycle), along with the ability of impounding e-bikes ridden by juveniles under the age of 18 who violate this ordinance. Those e-bikes would be released to a responsible adult upon payment of a towing fee.
Starting in August of 2024, the Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) will offer, all students, in grades six through eight, who wish to park their e-bikes at any RBUSD school site, e-bike training through a local partner “E-Bike Sense.” In August, Parras Middle School and Adams Middle School will host a series of certification courses wherein students will receive one hour of instruction in a classroom on the safe use of e-bikes, as well as one hour of practice on a closed course at the school site. Successful completion of the course will earn the student an e-bike sticker which will allow them to park their e-bike at any RBUSD school site. Students who do not participate will be restricted from parking their e-bike at RBUSD school sites as their e-bikes will be randomly checked by administration and campus supervisors. Subsequent trainings will be offered through the year as needed, as students receive e-bikes as gifts throughout the year. Students may also participate in other pre-approved courses at more convenient times to earn a sticker in the months following September. RBUSD hopes to have 600-800 students trained by the end of September.
As detailed in this report, the Police Department has taken significant steps to examine and address issues involving e-bikes. This has included heightened enforcement efforts, active monitoring of any legislative progress, proactive community outreach, and contacting the City Attorney’s Office for possible follow-up with reestablishing a bicycle diversion program with the L.A. County Courts System. Additionally, the Police Department has collected information from other South Bay cities that have updated their municipal codes for e-bike enforcement and discussed how the Redondo Beach Unified School District is addressing the community’s call for enhanced e-bike education and enforcement.
This item provides an opportunity for Council to discuss these efforts as well and discuss possible options to further address e-bike safety and enforcement in the City of Redondo Beach.
COORDINATION
The Police Department coordinated the preparation of this report with the City Attorney’s Office.
FISCAL IMPACT
The enforcement and outreach efforts currently conducted by the Police Department are funded through the Police Department’s annual operating budget. The Bicycle Rodeo safety training course was provided using funding from an Office of Traffic Safety Grant.
APPROVED BY:
Mike Witzansky, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
• Presentation - City Council, August 6, 2024
• E-Bike Law Comparison