Coronado is moving forward to adopt new policies on electric bike safety, including prohibiting those under 12 years old from riding them.
The move came after city leaders, politicians, and residents urged the government to adopt safety regulations to govern the new technology.
The Coronado City Council on Oct. 15 voted to move forward with safety recommendations from its e-bike task force, such as banning e-bikes from city sidewalks, exploring a partnership with the schools for safety trainings, and prohibiting younger riders.
Nothing is official yet: City staff will return to council with a proposed policy changes for discussion and approval.
Each year since 2021, around 26 bicycle collisions have occurred in Coronado, said Coronado Police Chief Rick Martinez at the meeting, noting that the number has remained stable despite an increase in bikes on the road. These numbers include both traditional and electronic bicycles, but Martinez said that he is implementing a change in the department to allow separation of e-bike specific incidents.
Earlier this month, an adult e-bike rider was seriously injured in a collision that occurred in the northbound lands of Silver Strand State Highway.
The city established its e-bike task force in 2022 to address growing safety concerns. The task force brought five recommendations before the council, which unanimously approved four of them. The last, which involved increasing fees for violations, was not approved.
Much of the public discourse surrounding e-bikes has centered on young riders. Riders under 18 caused 19% of collisions since 2021, Martinez said. This could include collisions with pedestrians or cars, but also includes collisions with objects.
However, between May of 2023 and July of 2024, police tracked 224 bike-related contacts with youth. Verbal warnings are not tracked. Of those contacts, the police issued 162 written warnings, 23 e-bike citations, nine e-bike impounds for unsafe operation or illegal modification. (Modifications often increase the e-bike’s speed.)
That figure also includes contacts related to the department’s recognition program, in which it gives out coupons for a free slice of pizza to recognize youth for responsible e-bike use.
The e-bike task force’s recommendations are as follows:
Approved: consider an ordinance regulating motorized mobility devices
Often, when new technology emerges, lawmakers must scramble to regulate it. The task force recommends the city adopt an ordinance regulating motorized mobility devices (MMD), which are defined as electric bicycles, personal assistive mobility devices, boards, scooters, and similar devices.
City staff recommended prohibiting use of these vehicles on all city sidewalks, the paseo near the Hotel del Coronado and the boardwalk near the Coronado Shores, the promenade along the Glorietta Bay Marina between Glorietta Bay Park and the Bluewater Boathouse Seafood Grill.
MMDs are already prohibited on public beaches, parks, the Coronado Municipal Golf Course and medians.
Mobility devices used to accommodate people with disabilities will be exempted from this ban.
Approved: prohibit riders under 12 years old
Under an e-bike safety pilot program starting in 2025, local governments in San Diego County are authorized to pass an ordinance or resolution banning people under 12 years old from riding class one or class two e-bikes. (Class three e-bikes are already only allowed for use by riders 16 and older.)
The biggest difference between classes one and two and class three is speed: The first two have motors that only provide pedal assistance until the bike reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour. Class three e-bikes provide pedal assistance up to 28 miles per hour.
The pilot program, which was formed by Assembly Bill 2234, takes effect on Jan. 1, 2025 and ends Jan. 1, 2029. City Council directed staff to draft a policy implementing the program.
The law requires that a jurisdiction opting into the program must administer a public education campaign about the ban for at least 30 days prior to its implementation, and only warnings may be issued for the first 60 days following the ban. After that, violations are $25.
Martinez said that children are generally cooperative when officers ask their ages.
Approved: consider e-bike regulation with the Coronado Unified School District
Staff suggested that the city approach CUSD about creating a program for students who commute to school via e-bike. The program, for example, could require that students take an e-bike safety course and register their bike with the district before being allowed to park it on school property.
While the council accepted this recommendation, the approval came with an asterisk: City Council Member Casey Tanaka, who is a history teacher at Coronado High School, said he was unsure that the district would want to tackle such a large project. He questioned, as an example, who would teach the safety classes.
“I’m happy to bring it up with the district,” Tanaka said. “But I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
Council Member Carrie Downey questioned whether students, eager to circumvent the potential registration process and safety course, might instead park their bikes elsewhere, causing an unintended problem.
Still, the council voted to at least explore this option.
Approved: Mobility Commission recommendations
In addition to the city’s e-bike task force, the Mobility Commission submitted 10 recommendations to the council. The city council voted to approve the recommendations in an exploratory manner: City staff will look into them, and bring them back to council for discussion as appropriate, but they may not be implemented.
The recommendations were: assisting schools with explaining new laws around e-bikes to students; offering free e-bike training classes for all ages; establishing a program designating students as approved e-bike riders; rewarding students who follow the laws around e-bikes; incentivizing attendance of safety classes to children over 12 years old; informing the public on the new laws; acknowledge e-bike rental companies that require renters to review rules; acknowledge e-bike sellers who inform customers of new regulations; creating signage for the new law; and considering sanctioning e-bike users that have modified bikes to exceed speed limits.
Not approved: Increasing e-bike violation fines
Currently, fines for e-bike use violations are $50 for the first violation and $100 for the second. For three or more in one year, the fine is $250.
If the city were to raise those fines, they would go into effect in 2026. Council Member Mike Donovan suggested tabling the matter once the city had more data about the effectiveness of the other policy changes. Tanaka said he did not support raising fines, while Coronado Mayor Richard Bailey noted that when fining minors, lower penalties were less punitive but more effective.
City Council unanimously approved four of the recommendations, with the exception of the fine violation increase. This does not change the policy: It simply means that city staff will draft an ordinance or resolution and return to council for discussion and vote.
The date for the next discussion had not yet been set.
