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Council amends bicycle code, limits Class 1‑2 e‑bike speeds to 20 mph and prohibits Class 3 on Santiago Creek trail
Summary
After safety concerns about high e‑bike speeds on multi‑use trails, council amended the municipal code to reduce speed indicators for e‑bikes (20 mph for Class 1 and 2) and to prohibit Class 3 e‑bikes on the Santiago Creek bike trail; the ordinance was approved unanimously.
Council adopted an amended ordinance updating the city’s bicycle code to address electric bicycles and motorized personal mobility devices.
Members voiced concerns about high speeds and unsafe behavior on the Santiago Creek multi‑use trail, citing encounters with throttle‑powered devices and modified e‑bikes. Council debated enforceability and whether to set a numeric speed limit or to rely on a “reasonable and prudent” standard. City staff and public safety representatives explained that legal classes for e‑bikes have top speeds (Class 1/2 generally 20 mph, Class 3 up to about 28 mph) and that illegally modified vehicles (motorized dirt‑bike‑type devices) are already prohibited.
Council amended the proposed municipal code to reduce the indicator for excessive speed to 20 miles per hour for Class 1 and Class 2 e‑bikes and to prohibit Class 3 e‑bikes on the city’s Santiago Creek bike trail. Council and the captain noted that the ordinance expands enforcement tools beyond vehicle code and allows municipal code citations in nonroadway areas. The amended ordinance (O‑5‑25) passed unanimously.
