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Carpinteria council approves first reading of e‑bike, electric mobility ordinance
Summary
City staff presented Ordinance 7‑95 to regulate e‑bikes and other electric mobility equipment with education‑first enforcement; council approved the ordinance on first reading and set a Feb. 9 second reading and adoption timeline.
Carpinteria’s City Council voted to approve the first reading of an ordinance updating local rules for bicycles and electric mobility devices, citing growing safety concerns in high‑pedestrian areas.
City staff presented Ordinance 7‑95, which consolidates bicycle rules and adds provisions for electric mobility equipment, including Class 1–3 e‑bikes, scooters and other devices. The ordinance limits sidewalk riding within a defined Central Traffic District, establishes an education‑first approach for first violations and prescribes graduated fines for repeat offenses.
Brian Kings, assistant city manager, told the council the draft reflects many weeks of stakeholder meetings that included councilmembers, the sheriff’s office, the school district and local cycling groups. The ordinance would empower citation authority for both the sheriff’s office and code compliance staff and includes an option to retain a device only in cases of repeated, public‑safety risks.
The city emphasized education as the preferred first step: eligible minors could attend a safety class instead of paying the $100 initial fine, and staff proposed partnering with a local cycling coalition to deliver youth diversion classes. Staff outlined a phased rollout: an outreach and education phase, followed by warnings and then stricter enforcement and fine collection. A pilot phase would evaluate the program and report back to council.
Councilmembers asked how city staff would measure success; staff said they would track citations, locations and education completions and return data in subsequent reports. The council approved the ordinance on first reading and scheduled a second reading on Feb. 9; staff said the ordinance would become effective 30 days after adoption if approved at the second reading.
The presentation noted the ordinance is intended to complement state law rather than replace it, and that definitions and restrictions were drawn from examples in neighboring jurisdictions. The council majority voiced support for the education‑first strategy while reserving further review at second reading.
Next steps: second reading on Feb. 9 and a staff report after several months of implementation that will include citation and education metrics.
