HomeMy WebLinkAbout070825-03.1
STUDY STUDY SESSION MEMORANDUM 3.1
TO: Mayor and Town Council July 8, 2025
SUBJECT: Discussion of E-Bike and E-Scooter Safety Concerns
BACKGROUND
Over the past several years, cities across the country have faced safety issues arising from
the growth in the number of E-bikes and e-scooters. Danville has not been immune to
this trend. While E-bikes and scooters provide a new and effective mode of
transportation, their increased use has raised safety concerns in the community.
In response to these concerns, the Town has taken a number of steps:
• Policy Action: In the past year, the Town Council adopted ordinances prohibiting e-
bikes on public sidewalks in designated commercial areas (e-scooters were already
banned from sidewalks by state law) and regulating their use in our parks and trails.
• Education and Outreach: The Police Department and Transportation Division have
collaborated to share information with parents and students about applicable state
laws and safe riding practices. The Town has also worked closely with the San Ramon
Valley Unified School District in an effort to get this information out to both parents
and students.
• Targeted Enforcement: This spring the Police Department began enforcement actions
aimed at curbing unsafe e-bike riding. Most interactions have resulted in verbal
warnings and education, though citations and bike impoundments have occurred in
more serious cases.
In spite of these steps, the Town is aware that safety concerns still exist and may be
exacerbated during summer and during the start of the school year in August. The Town
Council has heard concerns from park users about unsafe riders and confrontations with
those using e-bikes or scooters in an unsafe manner.
E-Bikes and Scooters 2 July 8, 2025
DISCUSSION
This report outlines additional actions already underway and identifies areas where
further policy direction from the Town Council may be warranted.
Education Efforts
Education remains the most direct way to address safety concerns—especially by
informing parents of young riders. Many are unaware of key regulations, such as the
three e-bike classifications or the fact that e-scooter use is limited to those with a valid
driver’s license, meaning riders under 16 are prohibited.
Town staff is undertaking the following additional educational efforts to strengthen
awareness and promote safe practices:
• Parent Communication: As summer camps and aquatics programs began, recreation
staff included reminders about e-bike and e-scooter restrictions in pre-attendance
emails to parents. Contract camp providers were also asked to share this information
with their participants.
• Summer Staff Training: Police provided training to summer staff to report e-bike and
e-scooter clusters at or near camps, allowing officers to monitor arrival and dismissal
periods and take appropriate enforcement action including warnings and/or citations
as appropriate or take any other enforcement actions.
• Diversion Program: The Police Department is exploring the creation of a diversion
program for youth cited for illegal or unsafe e-bike use. Modeled after existing
juvenile diversion efforts, the program would serve as an alternative to fines and/or
volunteer work and would require parental participation. Its purpose would be to
educate minors on safe and responsible riding, reinforce rules of the road, and
promote long-term behavior change that enhances community safety. Cities with
similar programs include Santa Barbara, Encinitas, Carlsbad, and Marin County.
• School-Age Education: The Transportation Division will be incorporating e-bike
education into the Street Smarts Program. They will also be looking into developing
an “e-bike education program” for those parents who wish to proactively enroll their
kids to provide knowledge
• Public Awareness Campaign: The Town’s communications team is working with
Police and Transportation staff to launch a campaign focused on parental
responsibilities and examples of unsafe riding behavior. Messaging will be shared via
the Town’s website, social media, and print materials.
E-Bikes and Scooters 3 July 8, 2025
Finally, enforcement will remain a priority. The Police Department will continue
proactive patrols on Town streets and sidewalks, and the Town will coordinate with the
East Bay Regional Park District to explore increased enforcement of speed limits on the
Iron Horse Trail.
State Legislation and Local Policies
In addition to education and enforcement, further legislative action, at both the state and
local level, may help address ongoing safety concerns. Several of these options would
require policy direction from the Town Council and/or its commissions.
State Legislation
At the state level, the Legislature passed AB 1778 in 2024, establishing the “Marin Electric
Bicycle Safety Pilot Program.” This bill allows Marin County and its cities to adopt
ordinances prohibiting individuals under 16 from operating a Class 2 e-bike through
2029. As of this writing, most Marin jurisdictions are actively considering adoption.
Given recent misinformation circulating on social media, it is important to clarify that
this authority applies only to jurisdictions within Marin County.
Town staff believes similar legislation could serve as a valuable additional safety tool for
Danville. We recommend engaging with local legislators in the upcoming session to
explore the possibility of a comparable bill. However, the Council should be aware that
initial outreach and research shows that advancing such legislation may be challenging,
as many lawmakers view e-bikes as an affordable transportation option for their
constituents and have been resistant to advance measures that could limit their use.
Local Policy
At the local level, the Town may wish to revisit two ordinances adopted last year to
evaluate whether additional modifications are warranted. These could include:
1. Parks Ordinance: The current ordinance prohibits unsafe or reckless riding and bans
use in playground areas and reads as follows:
“No person shall ride or operate a bicycle, e-bike or motorized scooter in a
negligent, unsafe or reckless manner, or in any way that endangers the life, limb
or property of any person in a Town park or trail. Riding bicycles, e-bikes and
motorized scooters in park playground areas is prohibited.”
Additional amendments to the parks ordinance could include (a) prohibiting the use
of e-bikes and scooters in parks; (b) limiting locations where they can be used; and/or
(c) imposing a speed limit.
E-Bikes and Scooters 4 July 8, 2025
This item has been placed on the July 9 agenda for the Parks, Recreation and Arts
Commission to get their input.
2. E-Bike Ordinance: Amending the e-bike ordinance to either expanding the sidewalk
restrictions in commercial areas and/or including non-electric bicycles in the
prohibition. This item will appear on the July 28 agenda of the Bicycle Advisory
Commission.
Based on direction from the Town Council and both commissions, draft ordinances could
be presented to the Town Council for consideration at its August 12 meeting.
Alternatively, the Council may choose to hold a study session in September to further
evaluate options.
RECOMMENDATION
Provide direction to Town staff regarding any potential ordinance changes.
Prepared by:
Tai J. Williams
Town Manager