Lafayette Looking At Tackling E-Bike Enforcement On City Streets

LAMORINDA, CA — Bay Area residents are debating how to share their city streets with e-bikes.

Contra Costa County is no exception.

The topic of e-bikes is on the agenda at Monday's Lafayette Transportation and Circulation Commission meeting.

Lafayette Police already launched an enforcement campaign for e-bikes and scooters, and say they plan to do so again.

Offering speed, ease of use, and a touch of adventure, motor-assisted bicycles provide a popular alternative to traditional bikes, according to Jennifer Rodriguez, injury prevention coordinator for the Injury Prevention Program at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital.

The speed and adventure make them especially attractive to teenagers.

Adults are not immune to either speed or adventure.

In Lafayette, most complaints are about e-bikes going too fast, not yielding to pedestrians, and not following the rules of the road, according to Suzanne Iarla.

The complaints, or contact with an officer, involve teen riders, she said.

City officials are participating in a multi-jurisdictional group led by Danville to share best practices about education and enforcement, and exploring forming a creating a coalition focused on improving public safety for all road users — particularly youth —with more consistent statewide standards, according to Iarla.

She said Stanley Middle School is working to educate students and their parents about e-bike safety and understanding the different e-bike classifications

Similarly, in Walnut Creek complaints are mainly about teenagers driving too fast and not following the rules of the road, according to Betsy Burkhart, spokesperson for Walnut Creek.

Rules exist, but enforcement is difficult, she said.

The Walnut Creek City Council will put e-bikes on a future agenda, she said.

Orinda police have also received an increase in calls about e-bikes recently.