CITY OF LAGUNA NIGUEL
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Virgil Asuncion, Chief of Police Services
DATE: September 6, 2022
SUBJECT: Electric Bicycle Action Plan Results and Updates
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Receive and file this update on the City's Electric Bicycle Action Plan; and,
2. Provide staff with direction on potential additional enforcement and/or educational actions.
BACKGROUND
On July 20, 2021, the City Council approved the current Electric Bicycle Action Plan, taking an education-first approach towards enforcement of unsafe or improper use of electric bicycles (e-bikes). The action plan was developed in response to increased communications received by residents expressing concern for public safety. The action plan continues to evolve, reflecting changes in electric bicycle ridership behavior, and consists of the following elements:
• Deployment of electronic message board in areas of high ridership activity. • Utilization of PACT volunteers and Orange County Reserve Sheriff Deputies to patrol City trails and the Niguel Botanical Preserve.
• Distributing educational brochures to local businesses, public communications, and outreach via town hall meetings, speaking engagements, community events, social media, local schools, and a dedicated webpage on the City website. • Implementation of a voluntary bicycle permitting program to ensure recovered bicycles are returned to their rightful owners and to provide the opportunity to distribute educational materials to residents on bicycle safety. • Use of an electric bicycle feedback form on the City's website to solicit community members' feedback on areas they believe are in need of additional outreach or patrol.
• Issuing warnings and citations to repeat offenders violating the California Vehicle Code and the City's Municipal Code.
ANALYSIS
Since the approval of the Electric Bicycle Action Plan, Sheriffs Deputies and PACT volunteers have spent over 300 hours engaging in a continual effort to educate electric bicycle riders about the rules of the road and the importance of practicing safe ridership.
The Police Services Bike Patrol Team has contacted and educated 197 electric bicycle riders since September 2021. From July 20, 2021, to July 31, 2022, Police Services has received approximately forty calls for service from the general public concerning electric bicycles. Additionally, they have also responded to twenty-six accidents involving an electric bicycle. As a result, Police Services has issued 15 citations and given over 75 warnings to electric bicycle users.
With education and outreach being a critical component of the approved Electric Bicycle Action Plan, Police Services has provided twelve formal presentations to various groups, focusing primarily on electric bicycle safety. Groups who have received these presentations include Niguel Hills Middle School, Niguel Hills PTSA, Dana Hills High School, Dana Hills PTSA, and various Neighborhood Watch groups. Partnerships with these organizations have positioned the City well as we continue to roll out education and enforcement strategies. With the start of the 2022-2023 school year having just taken place, Police Services is hearing positive reports from local school administrators and parents about the considerable progress in electric bicycle safe ridership practices for students on campus.
The results of the Electric Bicycle Action Plan has sparked interest from surrounding communities spurring the cities of San Juan Capistrano, Huntington Beach, Dana Point, Mission Viejo, and Rancho Santa Margarita to replicate Laguna Niguel's approach to this issue. In addition, Laguna Niguel Police Services has provided training to Dana Point Police Services and the Orange County Sheriff's Department's Public Affairs and Community Engagement Division regarding the strategies created and utilized in Laguna Niguel. Moreover, the action plan was recently awarded the League of California Cities Helen Putnam Award for its innovative strategies in addressing electric bicycle safety.
In addition to the previously outlined strategies, staff has devised additional resources and approaches to further develop and enhance electric bicycle safety. Effective September 7h, Sheriff Deputies will be able to issue administrative citations for unsafe ridership. Unlike traditional criminal/traffic citations, administrative citations provide redress for dangerous behavior without impacting one's automobile driving record.
A strategic partnership is also being piloted with Niguel Hills Middle School to register electric bicycles directly with the school and share the database with the Police Services team to work collaboratively in educating students on safe ridership practices. The sharing of registration data will allow any recovered bicycles to be returned to their registered owner. Additional planned outreach and education strategies include an educational infographic highlighting electric bicycle rules and safety that will be featured in the Winter Recreation Brochure, along with the redeployment of electronic message boards highlighting the new enforcement practices for electric bicycle misuse. Lastly, the Public Works Department is in the process of painting speed limit reminders on highly trafficked sidewalks surrounding schools located in Laguna Niguel.
Best practices have been created and implemented that address the issuance of citations to juveniles for electric bicycle-related violations. Staff issued I an internal memorandum advising Sheriff Deputies to take additional steps when issuing a citation to a juvenile.
Those steps include notifying the parents or guardian of the juvenile's violation, their school if the violation was committed on their way to or from, and corroborating the identification of the juvenile through their school or parent. Adopting these additional steps incorporates a more holistic approach when enforcing electric bicycle-related violations upon juveniles.
While significant progress has been made on electric bicycle public safety in Laguna Niguel, the City continues to explore additional opportunities to further enhance outreach efforts, leading to an increasingly safe and educated electric bicycle user community in the City. At this time, staff is seeking input from the City Council on additional electric bicycle education and enforcement strategies to be implemented.
FISCAL REVIEW
The adopted Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget includes adequate funds to carry out the City's Electric Bicycle Action Plan.
LEGAL REVIEW
No legal review is required for this report. However, if the City Council provides direction related to local laws and/or regulations, the City Attorney's Office will become engaged in such efforts as it pertains to updating the Municipal Code.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Receive and file this update on the City's Electric Bicycle Action Plan; and,
2. Provide staff with direction on potential additional enforcement and/or educational actions.
Jamasa Spouseou
Virgil Asuncion Tamara S. Letourneau
Chief of Police Services City Manager
Jamass Estowneau Kevin X. OComon
K Justin J. Martin Kevin X. O'Connor
Deputy City Manager Management Assistant