La Verne continues first reading of e-bike ordinance after debate over sidewalk use and lane language

La Verne held the first reading of a municipal ordinance on May 4 to regulate electric bicycles, scooters and other personal mobility devices, but the council continued the item to allow staff to refine language on sidewalk use and bike-lane directionality.

Staff described the draft code changes to Title 10 (Chapter 10.8), which would align local regulations with the California Vehicle Code while adding local operational rules, helmet and lighting requirements, parental responsibility provisions for minors, and options for administrative citations and safety-education alternatives.

Council members and residents raised safety concerns about permitting class 1 and class 2 e-bikes on sidewalks near schools and senior facilities. "They're motorized, powerful devices that have no business being on the sidewalks, as far as I'm concerned," one council member said during the discussion, arguing that e-bikes accelerate quickly and can endanger pedestrians. Supporters of a more discretionary approach urged focusing enforcement on high-pedestrian areas while preserving sidewalk access where no bike lane exists.

Members also asked staff to clarify language that requires riders to "travel in the same direction as vehicles," since project work on Arrow could create a two-way bike lane on one side of a roadway; staff agreed to add an explicit exception for that scenario.

After public comment and technical questions, the council voted to continue the ordinance to the next meeting so staff can revise the draft, add clarity on two-way bike lanes and sidewalk restrictions, and amplify education and enforcement plans.

Next steps: staff will refine the code language and return for a second reading and public comment with proposed edits that reflect council direction.