City of Santa Barbara Cracks Down on E-Bikes

Santa Barbara City Council approved amendments to the municipal code to cover e-bikes, in an attempt to cut down on unsafe riding and collisions between e-bikes and pedestrians. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

The City of Santa Barbara updated its city code to cover e-bikes, giving police officers discretion to administer citations for “unsafe” riding, including an option for a youth diversion program intended as a solution to reckless e-bikers causing issues with pedestrians around town.

Changes to the municipal code have been in the works for months, and an earlier draft was considered by the city’s Ordinance Committee back in October 2024. Since then, Police Chief Kelly Gordon worked closely with Assistant City Attorney John Doimas to tailor the e-bike regulations to help the city cut down on unsafe riders and to educate the community about the definition of “e-bikes” and what types of bikes would be allowed on Santa Barbara streets.

Chief Gordon outlined the e-bike regulations during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The updated ordinance would cover three classes of e-bikes: Class 1, which are pedal-assist only with a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour; Class 2, which are equipped with throttles and go above 20 mph; and Class 3 bikes, the fastest allowed in the city, with pedal assist and a maximum speed up to 30 mph.

The Class 3 bikes would now require riders to be at least 16 years old and to wear a helmet at all times.

Councilmember Kristen Sneddon wanted to know whether the updated ordinance would cover “pocket bikes,” the electric Surron dirt bikes that look more like a motorcycle than a traditional e-bike. These pocket bikes, Sneddon said, have been reported along State Street almost every day riding at speeds up to 45 mph.

Chief Gordon said the pocket bikes were essentially off-road dirt bikes and were not allowed on any public streets or right-of-way, being restricted to either private property or off-road locations in the mountains.

But these electric pocket bikes — which already violate the vehicle code and can lead to a traffic ticket and impoundment — have become a challenge for law enforcement.

“We can’t be everywhere at all times; that is the reality,” Gordon said.

The new e-bike regulations would give the Police Department a new tool, Gordon said, by allowing officers to use discretion in giving first-time offenders an option that would allow them to keep their bikes and correct their behavior.

Since Santa Barbara started collecting stats on e-bike accidents in 2022, the number of collisions has continued to grow. In 2022 there were 10 collisions, the next year there were 73. In 2024, the number jumped to 107 collisions, two-thirds of which were at the fault of the e-bike rider.

Santa Barbara City Council approved amendments to the municipal code to cover e-bikes, in an attempt to cut down on unsafe riding and collisions between e-bikes and pedestrians. | Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

New regulations would be aimed at tackling dangerous riding citywide, specifically “operating in an unsafe manner.” Riders would be required to remain on the side of the road or in bike lanes where possible, yield to pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks, and not be allowed to perform tricks and wheelies whenever pedestrians or vehicles were “in close proximity.”

There was much discussion over the wording regarding tricks and wheelies, with councilmembers agreeing to change the language to “in close proximity” to allow officers to have discretion over what would be considered dangerous riding in a given situation. As Gordon explained, performing tricks and wheelies on a mostly empty street would be considered safe, whereas the same maneuvers during a Saturday farmers’ market would cause public safety issues.

The ultimate goal, according to Assistant City Attorney Doimas, would be to allow youth offenders to attend a diversion program administered through the Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse in what would be similar to the existing “teen court” program.

This option, Doimas explained, would be less punitive than impounding a first-time offender’s e-bike and would allow the family to deal with the infraction without affecting a minor’s record or ability to get a driver’s license.

If a minor receives a citation, they would be able to attend a two-hour course, which a parent or guardian would also attend. At the end of the course, they would have to pass a test and receive a certificate that would close their case. Adult offenders would only receive an administrative citation, which would not affect their driving record or require a court appearance.

The City Council unanimously approved the e-bike regulations with minor changes, including the removal of a provision that would have allowed e-bikes on sidewalks in specific situations. These sections were removed at the request of Mayor Randy Rowse, who said that allowing bikes on sidewalks at all would be “sending a confusing message.”

Other last-minute tweaks included a change to the fines — which would start at $100 for a first offense and increase with consecutive violations within a one-year period — and clarifications regarding group rides, which would still be allowed under the new ordinance.

Several councilmembers voiced concerns over the perceived lack of enforcement on State Street, and asked that city staff return in the future with a public report that would provide information about where the Police Department was receiving service calls, and allow the city to improve police response or presence where necessary.