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Council cites consumer alerts, dynamometers and trade‑ins as tools to remove illegal e‑bikes
Summary
Council leaders said they are coordinating consumer alerts with the attorney general’s office, exploring roadside dynamometers to measure top speed and considering trade‑in and rebate programs to remove illegal high‑speed e‑bikes from streets.
Council leaders described a multi‑pronged approach to take illegal high‑speed e‑bikes off city streets: consumer alerts in coordination with the attorney general's office, pilot enforcement tools such as roadside dynamometers to test device speed and trade‑in or rebate programs to encourage owners to replace unsafe devices.
"That consumer alert, we saw that it worked in California," Majority Leader Sean Embrau said, noting the point‑of‑sale approach as one tactic. He described dynamometers—portable devices that measure speed and power—as a way to identify unlawful devices on the spot, and cited London's pilot confiscations as an example.
Speakers framed consumer protection measures as complementary to enforcement and platform regulation, and suggested phased approaches that could include initial voluntary trade‑in programs followed by stronger enforcement if necessary.
No specific budget or pilot timeline was given in the remarks; council members said the oversight hearing will be an opportunity to discuss agency capacity and implementation options.
