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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.1-KALIN, ALAN EMAIL 111925 1 To: Chair and Members of the Danville Bicycle Advisory Commission Subject: Recommendation Regarding E-Bike Use on Residential Sidewalks November 18, 2025 Honorable Chair and Commissioners: On behalf of Danville Safety Advocates, we respectfully submit the following analysis and recommendation concerning the regulation of e-bikes on residential sidewalks in the Town of Danville. Based on our review of the options listed in Bicycle Advisory Staff Report 5.1 (November 19, 2025) – and the discussion at the Commission meeting, we strongly urge the Commission to recommend a full prohibition on the operation of e- bikes on all Danville residential sidewalks. The first option—maintaining the current Municipal Code language—relies on prohibiting any vehicle from being operated on a sidewalk “in a manner that endangers” pedestrians. While this approach avoids code modifications and imposes minimal administrative burden, it is highly subjective and difficult to enforce. Officers must personally observe unsafe behavior as it occurs, making proactive enforcement largely impossible. This has resulted in inconsistent application of the law and leaves the Town exposed to foreseeable collisions involving high-speed electric devices. In short, retaining the existing language does not adequately address rising concerns about sidewalk safet y and does little to mitigate risk to pedestrians. The second option—a full town-wide ban on e-bikes on residential sidewalks—provides the clearest, most enforceable, and most effective path forward. A bright-line rule removes ambiguity for both riders and officers, allowing enforcement to be based on simple observation rather than interpretation. This approach restores sidewalks to their intended purpose as pedestrian-first environments and directly reduces the likelihood of conflicts involving fast-moving electric devices. Many California jurisdictions, including Berkeley, Mill Valley and Oakland have already adopted similar bans in response to the same emerging safety issues (Ref: list of cities below) Importantly, this option also significantly reduces municipal liability by addressing known hazards before serious incidents occur. Although some residents may initially express concern about youth riding in bike lanes or lower-speed streets, these challenges can be effectively managed through community education, signage, designated routes, and continued bicycle-infrastructure improvements, and sensible enforcement. In our view, Option 2 is the most responsible and defensible policy available. 2 The third option—to restrict only Class 2 throttle-assisted e-bikes while allowing Class 1 and Class 3 devices—presents considerable operational challenges. Many electric bicycles are visually indistinguishable, labels are often inaccurate, purchased online or removed, and numerous devices have been modified beyond their original specifications. Expecting officers to determine the specific class of a device during an encounter is neither realistic nor practical. This option also fails to address the accelerating prevalence of high-powered “E-Motos,” which fall entirely outside the Class 1–3 framework and pose the greatest risk. Although Option 3 may appear to be a compromise, its real-world enforceability is limited, and it is likely to produce inconsistent outcomes. For these reasons, Danville Safety Advocates strongly recommends that the Bicycle Advisory Commission advance Option 2: a full prohibition of e-bikes on all residential sidewalks. This approach best protects pedestrians, reduces foreseeable liability, aligns with regional best practices, and provides officers with a clear, objective framework for consistent enforcement. Respectfully Submitted by: Alan Kalin, COL, U.S. Army Retired and Bruce Bilodeau, Co-Chairs Danville Safety Advocates For More Information: Visit Danville Safety Advocates Partial list of California Cities that Prohibit e-bikes on sidewalks: Region / County City / Jurisdiction Scope of Sidewalk Ban Code Citation Contra Costa Danville Prohibited in business district Danville Muni Code §4-19.2 Alameda Berkeley Prohibited on all sidewalks Berkeley Muni Code §14.68.120– 130 Alameda Oakland Prohibited for adult- size bikes/e-bikes Oakland Muni Code §10.16.150 San Francisco San Francisco Prohibited age 13+ on all sidewalks SF Transp. Code §7.2.12 Napa Napa Prohibited near schools/stores/business buildings Napa Muni Code §10.64.020 3 Solano Vacaville Prohibited near schools/stores/business buildings Vacaville Muni Code §10.52.180 Marin Mill Valley Citywide prohibition Mill Valley Muni Code §10.04.140, §10.30 Contra Costa El Cerrito Citywide prohibition El Cerrito Muni Code §11.64.040(A) San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo Citywide prohibition SLO Muni Code §10.72.100 Santa Cruz Santa Cruz Prohibited near commercial establishments Santa Cruz Muni Code §10.68.030 Santa Cruz Capitola No e-bikes on sidewalks; kids <10 only Capitola Muni Code §10.44.010– 030 Santa Cruz Watsonville Citywide prohibition Watsonville Muni Code §4-1.02 Monterey Pacific Grove Citywide prohibition PG Muni Code §16.32.080 Monterey Gonzales Citywide prohibition Gonzales Muni Code §10.52.130 Sacramento Folsom Citywide prohibition Folsom Muni Code §10.24.070 Riverside San Jacinto Citywide prohibition San Jacinto Muni Code §10.24.120 Santa Barbara Lompoc Citywide prohibition Lompoc Muni Code §10.52.130