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Carlsbad police report rise in proactive e‑bike enforcement and set Sept. 16 hearing on youth e‑bike pilot
Summary
Lieutenant Jason Arnotti told the committee the city has issued more than 160 citations and 200 warnings under municipal code chapter 10.56, doubled officer‑initiated contacts since March, and is reviewing Assembly Bill 2234 (a county pilot) that could bar children 12 and under from operating certain e‑bikes; a Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission hearing is scheduled for Sept. 16.
Lieutenant Jason Arnotti of the Carlsbad Police Department’s traffic division briefed the committee on e‑bike and bicycle safety efforts in the city and summarized enforcement, education and planned public engagement.
Arnotti said the city adopted municipal code chapter 10.56 in 2022 to regulate electric bikes and mobility devices and that enforcement has resulted in "over a 160 citations and more than 200 warnings, primarily for traffic violations and reckless group riding." He reported a marked shift toward proactive enforcement — officer‑initiated contacts rose from 23 in March to 53 in June — and described focused deterrence operations targeting high‑speed group rides, including multi‑agency coordination that prevented a planned group ride in a neighboring jurisdiction.
On legislation, Arnotti described Assembly Bill 2234 as a county pilot under review that would allow cities in San Diego County to prohibit children 12 and under from operating certain electric bicycles, paired with education and low fines that can be waived by completing a safety course. Carlsbad staff scheduled a special Traffic Safety and Mobility Commission meeting on Sept. 16 to solicit public input and help frame any recommendation to council.
Committee members asked about communications timed to the start of school, impound authority for e‑bikes, parent accountability and the department’s diversion program for first‑time eligible offenders. Arnotti said the municipal code currently does not authorize impoundment of e‑bikes, that diversion courses can substitute for fines in some cases, and that the department will continue fall outreach (helmet giveaways, school trainings and targeted enforcement) and use crash and enforcement data to identify hot spots.
Councilmember Acosta urged broad outreach through district channels to increase public input for the Sept. 16 meeting. "That will be advisory to the city council," she said of the pilot review, and staff encouraged parents and district representatives to participate. The committee asked police and communications staff to provide materials to schools for the first week of classes and to return with updated enforcement metrics at a future meeting.
