1825 STRAND WAY
CORONADO, CA 92118
WWW.CORONADO.CA.US
Office of the Mayor
(619) 522-7320
FAX (619) 522-2407
September 12, 2024
The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 2234 (Boerner) – Letter of Support
Dear Governor Newsom:
The City of Coronado writes to express our support of AB 2234 by Assemblymember Boerner, which would authorize cities within San Diego County to adopt an ordinance or resolution to prohibit a person under 12 years of age from operating a class 1 or 2 electric bicycle.
With the increasing popularity of e-bikes as an alternative mode of transportation and recreation, there has been a corresponding rise in safety concerns and regulatory ambiguities surrounding their use. Existing law only prohibits a person under 16 years of age from operating a class 3 electric bicycle, but does not address concerns with young operators on class 1 or 2 electric bikes. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes can be equally dangerous, particularly young operators who do not know the rules of the road. Currently, there is a lack of standardized safety training and education programs specifically tailored to ebike riders, leading to potential risks for both riders and other road users.
The bill also requires cities to administer public information campaigns prior to the enactment of the ordinance or resolution. The City of Coronado has already embarked on a significant outreach campaign with e-bike operators of all ages to help increase awareness, including awareness on the part of operators of vehicles on the roadways who have difficulty seeing e-bikes approaching so quickly in areas with reduced visibility.
For these reasons, the City of Coronado supports AB 2234. We look forward to working with you further on helping craft legislative solutions that will ensure for the safe operation of e-bikes in our communities. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions at 619-522-7335 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Richard Bailey
Mayor
cc: Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, District 77
Senator Catherine Blakespear, District 38
League of California Cities, (via email: [email protected])