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NewsKPBS Public MediaAugust 24, 2026San Diego

San Diego County cities adopt e-bike safety ordinances amid infrastructure concerns

Multiple San Diego County cities have enacted ordinances regulating e-bike use, including penalties for reckless riding and age restrictions, while advocates and studies highlight a lack of protected bike infrastructure as a primary safety issue. The new rules allow local governments to prohibit riders under 12 from using e-bikes and establish administrative citations for violations.

transportationpublic safetyinfrastructuree-bikesurban planning
Read the full story at KPBS Public Media

Why It Matters

Residents face new legal restrictions and potential fines for e-bike operation, while the region continues to debate the adequacy of existing bike lane infrastructure for preventing accidents.

Key Facts

  • San Diego County cities have adopted state law provisions allowing them to prohibit riders under 12 from using e-bikes.
  • New ordinances include administrative citations for reckless riding by minors, which can be issued to the riders or their parents.
  • San Diego County has 8,782 miles of roads and 1,883.5 miles of bike lanes total.
  • Only 264 miles of the county's 1,883.5 miles of bike lanes are Class I or IV (physically protected/separated).
  • Class II bike lanes account for 1,216 miles of the county's bike infrastructure.
  • A UC San Diego study indicates that communities with Class I bike paths experience fewer crashes than those with Class II or III infrastructure.
  • The San Diego County grand jury reported that bike infrastructure is often disconnected, particularly near freeway on-and-off-ramps.
  • The San Diego Bike Master Plan Update uses 'level of traffic stress' to evaluate bike facility safety.
  • State law changes are intended to provide better data on e-bike accidents and enforcement.

Who's Mentioned

personDr. Jay Doucet“Lead author of UCSD e-bike study”personKC Gupta“18-year-old youth transportation lead with SanDiego350”personKyran Tandberg“15-year-old e-bike rider”personRaul Campillo“San Diego City Councilmember”personDavid Zito“Solana Beach City Councilmember”personIan Hembree“Representative of San Diego Bike Coalition”personAnthony Santacroce“City of San Diego public information officer”locationSan Diego County“Jurisdiction implementing new e-bike rules”personSinjin Ferma“12-year-old e-bike rider”organizationSan Diego Association of Governments“Provides regional bike map data”