From: Jason Cannava
To: CITYCOUNCIL-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] December 16th AGENDA ITEM: 10-B 2025-5599 – eBike 15 Speed Limit Proposal Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025 2:38:48 PM
Dear Councilmember Daysog, Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft, Vice Mayor Pryor, and Councilmembers Boller, and Jensen, and City Staff,
I am writing against a proposed blanket 15 MPH speed limit for bicycles and ebikes on city owned paths. I am a 26 year Alameda resident and parent of young children and love our single car lifestyle enabled by the investments Alameda has made in bike friendly infrastructure. I believe this proposal, if enabled would be a step back in our trajectory to a safer, less carbon intensive and more efficient transportation system in Alameda.
I share the concerns about safety but this proposal addresses the wrong problem.
1. Our police department has been stretched to enforce existing traffic laws that have been endangering Alamedans for years now. As a resident of Grand Street, I see and hear the result of lack of enforcement daily.
2. E-bikes and bicycles traveling faster than 15 miles an hour have been around for years and decades, they are not the problem. Electric motorcycles masquerading as e-bikes are.
Creating a blanket 15 MPH speed limit on bicycles and e-bikes will make them a less convenient mode of transportation and slow adoption. At a time when our city is challenged with creating more housing while being severely constrained on what can be done with automobile infrastructure, we need more and faster adoption.
Lets not undermine our significant investments in bicycle infrastructure by making switching to bicycles harder and less safe. Better solutions to improve safety already exist. Lets let the data drive us to target enforcement of existing laws and educate cyclists about safe riding habits including wearing helmets.
Thank You,
Jason Cannava