E-Bike Enforcement and Education Increasing in Santa Barbara After a Grand Jury Investigation
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – After more than two years of increased bike crashes, rising injuries and community complaints about the dangers of e-bikes in Santa Barbara, a list of changes has been outlined for the public to see.
It will go before the Santa Barbara City Council Tuesday.
A letter signed by Mayor Randy Rowse is in response to a Grand Jury report that was critical of the city’s response to e-bike concerns, mainly brought up by members of the public who have been impacted as drivers or pedestrians.
The complaints range from e-bike riders speeding, going through red lights, riding through stop signs, reckless riding around pedestrians and cars, riding on the sidewalks where pedestrians exist, and being involved in verbal and physical encounters with the public centered around e-bike behavior. There are many similar complaints in regional cities and in the county.
Monday downtown several of the bike riding activities in question were taking place over a two hour check of the State St. area.
One e-motorcycle went by at an estimated 25 miles an hour where pedestrians were present, and for a moment the bike was on one wheel, between Carrillo and Figueroa St.
The Santa Barbara City Council has tried different ways to deal with the problem for months. The most recent action was an upgraded ordinance with special fines through citations, and in collaboration with the police department, enforcement of that ordinance has taken place. With that has come costly citations for many of the bike riders – ranging from$100 to $500 dollars.
Some can be cleared with special classes, especially those citations issued to teenagers, for example, if they are not riding with a helmet.
The classes are two hours, and after passing a test the person will have the citation cleared, otherwise it remains in effect.
Parents are required to attend the first 30 minutes of the class.
Many young riders in the downtown area said they were aware of the enforcement but said it wasn’t always necessary.
Dame Buttler said, on the e-motorcycles, “if they are not doing wheelies, if they are just riding like nice and respectful then they should not pull them over .”
A downtown worker who sees the range of bikes daily from regular commuters to acrobatic bike riders, has concerns about safety and agrees more should be done.
“My message is to parents , do you care about the safety of your children? Do you care your child is going 25 to 30 miles an hour down the street with pedestrians on it? A friend of mine fell off a bike about two years ago and he is still not at 100 percent,” said Seif Hejazine.
The city has been aggressive in the downtown and waterfront area since May, writing tickets and educating bike riders.
The enforcement has mainly been on State Street, but officers have been moving around to areas where e-bike use is high including the waterfront.
E-motorcycles, are not allowed on the street. They are automatically impounded if the rider is stopped by police.
Bikes are also not allowed to be ridden through the Farmers Market locations on Tuesdays on State St. and on Saturday on Carrillo or State St., which is a market that draws thousands of people.
Recently, police stopped many bike riders and wrote some tickets for the violation. That included an e-bike rider who was heading into a crowded intersection with his hands and feet stretched out from the bike.
Citations can also be written to those who are riding recklessly, or popping wheelies in areas where pedestrians are walking in the shared space of the promenade.
Micco Jacobsen said the enforcement should be based on the risk to others. “I say they’re doing a good job keeping it under control but if a kid is riding his bike trying to get home , super chill on the sidewalk or bike lane under 15 miles an hour I say I wouldn’t hassle them, just let them get home.” When it comes to dangerous riding, “if you see them wheeling and being reckless I would pull them over and take their bikes, maybe for a couple of days. That would show them a lesson, I guess.”
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