CARLSBAD, Calif. (CNS) — Carlsbad's Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission will hold a special meeting Tuesday to gather community input on whether the city should prohibit e-bike use by children under age 12.
The Carlsbad City Council requested the commission to hold the meeting following the passage of AB 2234, which allows cities and unincorporated areas in San Diego County to establish a minimum age of 12 for riding e-bikes.
Residents can submit comments by email to traffic@carlsbadca.gov by 1 p.m. Tuesday. Or they can attend the Special Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission meeting in person and provide a comment. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. in City Council Chambers, 1200 Carlsbad Village Drive.
Because the age of 12 is identified in the legislation, the city does not have authority to adopt an ordinance with a different minimum age.
The new law applies only to Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. State law already establishes a minimum age of 16 for riding Class 3 e-bikes, which can reach higher maximum speeds.
State law prevents cities from adopting licensing requirements, but school districts operating in Carlsbad have worked with the city to develop bike safety or permit programs for students. The Carlsbad Police Department offers bike and e-bike safety training. More than 1,500 students have participated so far.
Carlsbad was the first city in the region to pass local laws to curtail reckless riding and address other unsafe use of e-bikes, officials said.
In the last three years, police have issued more than 180 e-bike citations and 230 warnings for violations that include running red lights, failing to stop at stop signs, riding on sidewalks and engaging in hazardous riding behaviors.
Education is a key part of Carlsbad's approach, according to officials. The city's local laws allow riders who receive a citation for the first time to take a safety course instead of paying the fine.
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