San Clemente takes steps to tighten e-bike regulations beyond beach bans

As electric bikes become increasingly popular, San Clemente city officials have been considering how best to regulate the market.

In 2022, the City Council banned e-bikes from beaches, waterfront trails, and the pier in response to safety complaints from residents. San Clemente even enlisted local comedians Chad and JT to come out and “hype” people up about the new rules in a humorous public service announcement video that same year.

“Don’t worry, we won’t fine you. We don’t have the authority to do that,” Chad told a couple riding e-bikes down a beach trail in the video. “We just have the authority to remind you what’s going on!”

“We’re like the cool cops,” JT joked.

However, San Clemente Mayor Victor Cabral noted during Tuesday’s City Council meeting that he still receives daily complaints about e-bikes, including users who repeatedly ignore road signs and even ride on their back wheels along Avenida Pico.

Facebook groups dedicated to San Clemente are full of residents complaining about groups of kids on electric bikes throwing water balloons at cars or riding in the lanes of traffic.

“Most of the kids that are there are wearing helmets and are well behaved, but there are always a few black sheep,” Cabral said.

Council members discussed and passed a series of new regulations for e-bikes, including a ban on dangerous stunts and a requirement for anyone under 18 to wear a helmet, to bring the city more in line with state regulations.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department will be responsible for enforcing e-bike impoundments, but law enforcement officers, park rangers and lifeguards also have the authority to issue tickets.

“This isn’t something that’s unique to San Clemente,” said Police Chief Capt. James Christian of the e-bike complaints. “This happens all over the place in a lot of the cities that we have, even outside of Orange County. As a beach community, we see a lot of e-bike use and a lot of bad behavior that goes along with e-bike use.”

In June, an Orange County grand jury released a report, “E-Bikes: Friend or Foe,” that recommended that every city in Orange County adopt specific e-bike policies by Dec. 1, 2024, while acknowledging that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

“A large coastal city will have its own unique rules compared to smaller inland cities,” the report says. “The rapidly expanding use of e-bikes compels cities to provide a safe environment for e-bike users and all Orange County citizens.”

Ahead of the grand jury report, San Clemente council members tasked staff in May with drafting an ordinance based on comments from the city’s Public Safety Commission, which returned for a first reading Tuesday.

Cabral noted that in the past, sheriffs have faced difficulties enforcing the law because of specific issues related to unsafe e-bike users.

“If they get into a chase with a child on a bike, that poses more of a threat to that child than to anyone else,” he said.

Christian noted that some pursuits have been abandoned early by deputies because of that caution. But he also called the latest enforcement efforts “proactive” and estimated that 60 tickets have been issued in the past six weeks.

Councilman Steve Knoblock wanted to tighten the law on electric bikes in one key area.

“I would like to see parents held strictly accountable,” he said. “If there is a ticket and it is not paid, then the parents are somehow responsible.”

City staff had the relevant provisions on hand, and council members agreed to add them to the bill’s first reading before it passed unanimously.

Councillor Chris Duncan noted that he is the father of children who ride e-bikes and supported the amendment.

“I actually think it will help parents,” Duncan said. “Without that structure, it’s really hard to tell a child, ‘This is what you need to do.’”

The proposed e-bike law would also provide the option for e-bike users to attend a driving school instead of paying fines.

Business owners selling or renting electric bikes will also be required to inform customers of the new regulations.

The bill will return to City Council for a second procedural vote at a later date, but council members felt Tuesday’s vote should have been held long ago.

“Our children need to be safer on the roads,” said Councilman Mark Enmeier. “We need to do everything we can to protect them. This is a huge improvement in public safety for our city.”