Officials in another North Orange County city are eying new e-bike regulations as injuries, arrests and even child endangerment charges are piling up throughout the county.
[Read: Deaths, Crashes, Arrests: Orange County Grapples With E-bikes]
Elected leaders in Buena Park are the latest in OC to consider new regulations on e-bikes – even potentially allowing them to be ridden on city sidewalks with a 10-mile-per-hour speed limit.
“We want people to use their bicycles, electric vehicles of any kind, but we want them to be used responsibly,” said Councilmember Carlos Franco at last week’s city council meeting.
“I think if we update the ordinance, this serves as a method of enforcement for the city in case someone gets hurt and a report is filed – we have something to lean on.”
The city currently prohibits riding electric mobility devices – including e-bikes, electrically powered skateboards and e-scooters – on public city sidewalks, drains, gyms or grass areas, among others.
The vehicles can be used on public roads, highways or trails as long as they are used “safely,” meaning that the rider cannot go against traffic flow, ride without a helmet if they’re under 18 or go faster than 25 miles per hour.
There have been eight e-bike/e-scooter collisions in Buena Park since 2024, with one being a juvenile, according to a presentation by Police Lieutenant Roger Plumlee.
The presentation also included an incident report from the OC Fire Department, stating that there had been 29 incidents involving e-bikes in the city since 2021.
Councilmember Susan Sonne suggested city staff collaborate with neighboring cities to ensure that local laws are similar, reducing confusion for e-bike riders – a concern she brought up in 2024 when the city first started discussing e-bike policies.
“I don’t think most people are automatically thinking in their head, ‘Oh, I just crossed from this city into that city, so the law changes now and I can do this or I can’t do that,’” Sonne said at the June 23 meeting.
“So the more we can be consistent, as riders go from one city to another, the easier it’ll be for them.”
According to Plumlee’s presentation, neighboring cities’ regulations vary widely.
La Palma bans electric mobility device use on sidewalks entirely, while Anaheim allows for their use on sidewalks, as long as the operator is going under 5 miles per hour and yields to pedestrians.
The city will revisit the adjustments in 60 to 90 days after staff discusses with neighboring cities and engineering departments to determine signage and bike lane options.
E-bike Categorization in OC – Why Does it Matter?
Currently, state regulations put e-bikes into three categories: class ones are pedal-powered and go up to 20 miles per hour, class twos can be ridden without pedaling but only go up to 20 miles per hour, and class threes are similar to class ones but can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour.
Anyone can ride a class one or two bike without restrictions, but only those 16 or older can ride a class three bike and must wear a helmet.
If a bike goes over 28 miles per hour or lacks pedals, it could actually be considered a moped or motorcycle, which requires a drivers license to operate under state law.
“We are seeing a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks, and streets. Bike riders and parents: If your or your teen’s electric two-wheeled vehicle goes too fast, it might be a motorcycle or a moped — not an e-bike,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release in April.
State assembly members are also currently considering legislation which would require speedometers to be built into class two e-bikes after 2029 and enforce a 10 mile-per-hour speed limit on sidewalks.
Last month, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced the creation of a new unit to specifically review charges involving illegal e-bikes and e-motorcycles.
The creation of the division comes following the increase of child endangerment and involuntary manslaughter charges against parents after allowing their children to operate illegal e-bikes.
According to the news release, injuries related to e-bikes and e-motorcycles have gone up 430% over the past four years and that children between 11 and 14 made up 61.7% of crashes involving an e-motorcycle.
Parents who allow their children to operate e-bikes illegally – over speed limits, without proper protective equipment or education on applicable laws – can face child endangerment charges, under California law.
“The death and devastation caused by e-Bikes and E-Motorcycles has reached epidemic levels, and we as elected officials must do everything we can to save lives,” Spitzer wrote in the news release.
“If parents refuse to hold their children accountable, then I am going to hold parents accountable when they knowingly break the law.”
