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La Verne council advances e-bike ordinance after contentious debate; first reading passes 3–1
Summary
The council introduced an ordinance regulating e-bikes and other mobility devices and approved first reading by a 3–1 vote. Staff and police recommended targeted restrictions — including park bans, Class 3 age limits and mandatory helmets for minors — rather than a blanket sidewalk prohibition after insurers warned of trade-offs.
The La Verne City Council on May 18 introduced an ordinance to regulate electric bicycles, scooters and similar mobility devices and approved first reading by a 3–1 vote, with Councilmember Johnson dissenting.
Police and staff framed the measure as an operational safety tool rather than a total sidewalk ban. "If we did this, complete prohibition, we would see a spike in accidents," the police chief said in the discussion, citing city liability and collision patterns that placed many incidents on roadways rather than sidewalks.
Key provisions: the ordinance updates the municipal code to define classes of electric bikes, prohibits e-bike operation in city parks (operators must dismount and walk), sets a minimum age for higher-speed Class 3 bikes (16 years to operate during darkness), requires helmets for riders under 18, bars unsafe behaviors such as stunts and use of handheld devices while riding, and establishes direction-of-travel rules for bidirectional bike lanes. The draft also distinguishes faster, motorcycle-like electric vehicles (which require registration, licensing and insurance) from standard e-bikes.
Enforcement and education: staff plans an enforcement-and-education campaign tied to school outreach and social media, and the ordinance gives police the option to issue administrative citations or require safety-course completion in lieu of fines for some violations. Captain Travis Tibbets noted that concentrated pedestrian areas such as parks will be singled out for additional restrictions to reduce collision risk.
Public response and council debate: several residents urged stricter limits or a full sidewalk ban, especially in neighborhoods with older residents or mobile-home parks. Supporters of a measured approach pointed to insurance counsel (JPIA) urging a balanced policy and to the difficulty of policing a wholesale sidewalk ban. The ordinance was introduced by title and will return for a second reading and final adoption at a subsequent meeting.
Provenance: Discussion, public comment and first-reading vote recorded in SEG 4331–SEG 5019.
