E-bike ordinance

Asked the committee to drop the no-bicycles-on-sidewalks rule for minors, build protected bike lanes like Huntington Beach's, enforce no-parking in bike lanes, and crack down on illegal e-motorcycles after the two teen deaths.

President of the 200-member Riverside Bicycle Club called the ordinance an overreaction that's too broad, noting seniors safely ride e-bikes on the Santa Ana River Trail, and asked the city to involve the community in redrafting it.

Judge Bailey strongly supported restricting riders under 18, saying the parents of the two teens killed recently should not have bought them e-bikes, but asked the council to exempt senior e-bike riders from the Santa Ana River Trail ban.

The Ward 2 Parks Commissioner (speaking for himself) said the ordinance hadn't changed since last week, still bans all e-bikes from every park and trail, lacks crash data by device type, and contains an ADA error affecting people with mobility disabilities.

Caller opposed the ordinance, said the police flyer contains errors about class 3 licenses and off-highway motorcycles, warned pushing kids off sidewalks into traffic is dangerous, and urged targeting e-motos with zero tolerance instead, citing Moreno Valley and Menifee models.

Caller urged education first — a training course and certification program for kids and parents — before more accidents occur.

Welcomed the continuance and suggested forming a committee to get input from bike shop owners and the public.