The Yorba Linda City Council gave staff direction July 15 to refine a proposed ordinance regulating electric bicycles and similar mobility devices, including adding DUI language, tightening penalties, and clarifying whether e-bikes should be banned from equestrian trails. Councilmembers asked staff to return with a revised ordinance for a second reading at the council's second meeting in August.

Why it matters: Residents, equestrians and parents described near-misses and dangerous encounters on sidewalks, neighborhood paths and horse trails. Councilmembers said they want rules that protect pedestrians, riders and horses while remaining enforceable under state law.

The discussion followed a multi-pronged outreach program that city staff and Yorba Linda Police Services conducted this summer; deputies reported increasing encounters with modified electric motorcycles and unsafe operation in groups. Police Services Captain Diane Wigton told the council she and her deputies had pursued an education-first approach and identified 13 enforceable behaviors to include in a municipal ordinance, ranging from failing to yield to pedestrians to performing wheelies, operating in a manner that endangers others, and operating without a properly fitted helmet.

Several residents urged a broad ban from equestrian trails. "We do suffer the same consequences in the lake bed," said Didi Friedrich, president of the Yorba Linda Country Riders. "The e bikes are silent and very unsettling to horses." Parks and recreation and public works staff said many local trails are designated multi-purpose; staff and the city attorney cautioned that state law treats class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes as bicycles, which limits some local restrictions.

Councilmember Peggy Wong proposed—and colleagues supported—several specific changes to the draft: lower speeds on sidewalks and trails (she suggested a 10 mph cap on sidewalks), mandatory misdemeanor charges for operating a regulated device while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, higher fines for repeat violations (she proposed $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second, and criminal prosecution for a third), and a stronger focus on impoundment and enforcement for illegally modified devices.

City Attorney Todd Lifton cautioned that some measures are preempted by state law (for example, the city cannot require a municipal e-bike license), and that various enforcement mechanisms may require either infraction-level citations or misdemeanor prosecution with probation conditions.

Enforcement logistics were a prominent concern: Yorba Linda deputies said towing or impoundment of bikes requires a tow authority and storage location; the sheriff's office has impounded only modified electric motorcycles so far, not standard class 1'3 e-bikes.

Council direction and next steps: The council voted unanimously to continue the ordinance and directed staff to:
- Add a DUI provision to the draft and confirm whether a misdemeanor standard applies for intoxicated operation;
- Revisit speed language (staff and police proposed keeping a 25 mph cap on streets but to strike the word "trails" from that section; council asked for lower sidewalk speeds, e.g., 10 mph);
- Produce enforceable language that addresses equestrian trails and multi-use trail distinctions and make the ordinance enforceable by deputies; and
- Return with a revised ordinance and enforcement plan by the city council meeting in mid-August (second meeting).

The council underscored that the ordinance is intended as a first step and that staff should report back on effectiveness after implementation. Police staff said they will continue public education in schools and community meetings while the ordinance is finalized.