Police chief urges education, safety courses as e‑bike use climbs in Lago Vista

The police chief briefed the Lago Vista Economic Development Corporation on May 12 about rising safety problems tied to electric bicycles and motorized scooters, urging an education‑first approach while outlining the legal and enforcement framework.

The chief said state law treats an electric bicycle like a bicycle so long as it uses no more than 750 watts of motor power and the motor assists no faster than about 28 miles per hour. He detailed three class labels used by manufacturers — class 1 and 2 (top assisted speeds near 20 mph) and class 3 (an assisted speed tier that requires the rider be at least 15 years old under state law) — and said bikes that exceed those watt or speed limits or that use gas engines are functionally illegal on public streets and often resemble motorcycles.

Why it matters: the department is seeing adolescents on class‑3 and higher‑powered bikes, groups taking up entire lanes, riders doing wheelies and scooters or mini‑bikes on trails and golf course property where private rules may prohibit motorized vehicles. "They're not intentionally malicious — a lot of it is a knowledge problem — but we've got video of 10–15 e‑bikes riding in packs, taking up the entire roadway," the chief said. He described one local serious injury in which a child doing a wheelie struck a mailbox and noted a high‑profile out‑of‑state case in which a 14‑year‑old's altered e‑bike fatally struck a pedestrian and prosecutors charged the parent.

Board members asked whether registration or parental sign‑off could be required. The chief said the city currently has no e‑bike registration ordinance; such a rule would require council action. He emphasized education before enforcement: "Our goal right now is always education first… however, if we've warned someone seven or eight times and they're still violating the law, we're probably gonna write them a ticket and impound their bike." The chief added the department had not issued a formal e‑bike ticket as of the meeting but had made contacts and asked some parents to retrieve children.

On trails and private property the chief noted a distinction: municipal and state law may allow certain e‑bike use on public roads and some trails, but private owners and POAs can prohibit motorized vehicles on property they own. He advised the board that narrow pedestrian trails should be candidates for local restriction on higher‑speed e‑bikes based on trail width and pedestrian volume.

Next steps: the police department plans to post educational materials on social media and to hold an interactive bicycle safety course (a "bike rodeo") in partnership with schools and community groups. Several board members urged the department to combine outreach with practical alternatives, such as identifying safe riding areas or trail segments appropriate for e‑bikes.

The presentation provided the board with statutory guardrails and a local roadmap that prioritizes public education, with enforcement reserved for repeated or dangerous violations.