Buena Park officials want to crack down the use of electric bicycles, weighing their options on how to slow down a safety issue that Orange County officials have been dealing with since the pandemic.
At last week’s meeting, Buena Park City Council members directed staff to come back with an ordinance that limits electric bicycle use at city parks – along with a push for increased enforcement by the city’s police department.
This comes a few months after an OC Grand Jury report criticized municipalities for lacking consistent regulations and enforcement on e-bikes across the county.
[Read: Orange County Grand Jury Blasts Uncoordinated Regulation of E-Bikes]
In June, OC Supervisors limited e-bike usage on trails and roads that fall under the county’s jurisdiction. They also called on cities to enact similar ordinances.
[Read: Orange County Supervisors Crack Down on E-Bikes]
Under California law, cities aren’t allowed to create ordinances outright banning e-bikes or require a license to ride one.
Buena Park Police Captain Nghia Nguyen said that the police department has received 23 calls related to electric bicycles since August of last year.
Three of those calls involved collisions, two of which occurred with bicyclists crashing with drivers leaving their driveway.
Some city council members, like Mayor Susan Sonne, were critical of e-bikes in general.
“So these ‘electric motorcycles’ are not legal for street use?” asked Mayor Sonne to Nguyen during the meeting.
Nguyen said that “technically, you’re not allowed to ride [electric] bikes out on the street, on the sidewalk – not in a residential area, not on the main thoroughfares.”
Since 2020, officials across the county have struggled to manage reports of teenagers driving electric bikes at speeds of 30 mph and increased traffic accidents on city streets.
Sonne, who requested back in June for an overview of e-bike usage, suggested that city staff look into collaborating with other cities on creating laws that are consistent.
But for Councilmember Art Brown, something needed to be done soon.
“I’ve watched plenty of e-bikes go through stop lights, stop signs, switch back and forth between the roadway and sidewalks with no regard,” Brown said.
He said that the city ought to consider an ordinance restricting e-bikes at parks to help address some safety concerns.
Brown added the city’s police department needs more officers to better enforce laws under the California Vehicle Code.
“It’s completely unsafe. Unfortunately, we don’t have enough officers out of the road to see all these things. You have to see it to write it,” he continued.
Brown, along with his council colleagues, openly advocated for hiring more police officers after a July report stated Buena Park’s police department was severely understaffed.
[Read: Can Buena Park Afford to Hire 15 Police Officers?]
Increasing staff at Buena Park Police Department would cost taxpayers $6 million.
Voters will have a chance to increase the city’s sales tax by 1% in November, in which part of that funding would go to Buena Park PD.
Why is Regulating e-bikes so Difficult?
Fred Jung, who serves as a board member for the Orange County Transport Authority, said in a Wednesday phone interview that many cities are playing catch up to technology that has outpaced local regulations.
He added that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to regulating e-bikes.
“It’s one thing if you are on a conventional bicycle and traveling down the road at about 20 miles an hour, it’s a whole other thing when you’re on an electric bike and you’re now going 30 plus,” Jung said.
On top of state law “being rather loose” on regulating e-bikes, Jung said cities are struggling to balance the need for accommodating bicyclists and cars on roads while creating ordinances that are fair to riders.
However, Jung said agencies like OCTA and OC municipalities are mindful that e-bikes offer alternative transportation that ultimately helps achieve a broader goal: getting people out of cars.
Still, he said cities updating their municipal codes “is probably a good thing,” despite statewide e-bike laws already giving guidelines to city officials.
A host of OC cities have overhauled local ordinances specifically targeting e-bikes since the pandemic to reckon with bicycle crashes and other safety concerns, the most recent being Laguna Niguel back in February.
[Read: Laguna Niguel Is Latest Orange County City to Tighten E-Bike Rules]
If an ordinance were to be passed, Buena Park would join Aliso Viejo, Irvine, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, San Clemente and Seal Beach on restrictions toward e-bike use.
Hugo Rios is a Voice of OC reporting fellow. Contact him at hugo.toni.rios@gmail.com or on Twitter @hugoriosss.
•••
Can you support Voice of OC with a donation?
You obviously care about local news and value good journalism here in Orange County. With your support, we can bring you more stories like these.