Pleasanton Police To Hold E-Bike Enforcement Day

PLEASANTON, CA — On May 21, the Pleasanton Police Department will join all other Tri-Valley police departments to enforce e-bike regulations.

The increasingly popular form of transportation comes with regulations with which many are not completely familiar. The California Vehicle Code divides legal e-bikes into three classes:

• Class 1: A low-speed pedal-assisted e-bike with a motor that assists only when the the rider is pedaling, and does not go over 20 mph.
• Class 2: A low-speed throttle-assisted e-bike with a motor used exclusively to propel the bike. It is also incapable of assisting once a speed greater than 20 mph is reached.
• Class 3: A pedal-assisted e-bike with a speedometer and a motor that assists only when the the rider is pedaling. The motor stops providing assistance when a speed of 28 mph is reached.

In Pleasanton, Class 1 and 2 bikes are allowed on roads and designated bike lanes. Class 3 bikes are also allowed on roads and bike lanes adjacent to roadways, but are prohibited from bike trails not adjacent to roadways, according to the Pleasanton Police Department. E-bike riders must follow the same rules as regular cyclists, including obeying traffic signs and moving in the same direction as traffic.

See here for more e-bike regulations in Pleasanton, and here for state laws.

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