Police report fewer serious e-bike injuries; council to back state bill and review in a year

Redondo Beach police briefed the City Council on April 8 about enforcement and education efforts focused on electric bicycles and similar motorized cycles, reporting dozens of enforcement stops, 71 citations in the last six months and only four reported e‑bike collisions during that period, none resulting in serious injury.

Lieutenant Brian Long, who oversees traffic and community services, said targeted enforcement efforts focused on school arrival and dismissal times produced concentrated results: enforcement details at Redondo Union High School and other sites generated 75 enforcement stops during two enforcement days, and the department has distributed 370 school-authorized stickers for students who completed bicycle safety training. Long said the department also ran two “bike rodeo” events funded by grant money and partnered with the school district to require safety classes for students who ride to campus.

Police Chief Joe Hoffman said the department would continue balanced enforcement, combining citations and warnings with positive reinforcement (officers handed out donated gift cards to students who followed the rules). Hoffman said an area of concern is motorized cycles that exceed ebike specifications (greater than 750 watts) and those sold without appropriate labeling; officers are monitoring legislation that would allow impound and removal of motorized cycles marketed as ebikes but exceeding technical limits.

Several council members pressed for a state-level response. Councilmember Barron and others supported Assembly Bill 875, an effort to distinguish high‑powered motorized cycles from lower‑powered ebikes and to give law enforcement stronger tools to impound illegal motorized cycles. The council directed staff to prepare a letter of support for AB 875 and to report back in one year on enforcement results and any relevant legislation. The motion passed unanimously.