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CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
3750 UNIVERSITY AVE., STE. 250
RIVERSIDE, CA 92501
(951) 826-5567
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING TITLE 10 OF THE RIVERSIDE MUNICIPAL CODE BY ADDING SECTION
10.65 REGARDING E-CONVEYANCES.
WHEREAS, the City of Riverside (“City”) is committed to ensuring the public health, safety, and welfare of all its residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, the City recognizes the importance of fostering sustainable transportation options while maintaining public safety and accessibility for all users of public spaces; and WHEREAS, e-conveyances (electric bicycles, scooters, and similar devices) have become increasingly popular modes of transportation and recreation within the City; and WHEREAS, the use of e -conveyances in public spaces presents both benefits and challenges, including safety concerns for riders, pedestrians, and motorists; and WHEREAS, the City has observed a significant increase in traffic incidents involving e- conveyance users, often due to higher speeds and unsafe riding practices; and WHEREAS, the public has expressed concerns regarding the unsafe operation of e-conveyances, including reckless riding behaviors that pose risks to riders, pedestrians, drivers, and others in public spaces; and
WHEREAS, the City aims to promote the safe use of e-conveyances by implementing regulations that align with state law and best practices in transportation safety; and WHEREAS, the City is committed to educating its residents and visitors on the safe operation of e-conveyances to prevent accidents and other traffic hazards and promote responsible use of these transportation modes.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Riverside does ordain as follows:
Section 1. Section 10.65 of the Riverside Municipal Code entitled “E-Conveyances” is added as shown in Exhibit “A” attached hereto and incorporated herein.
Section 2: The City Council has reviewed the matter and, based upon the facts and information contained in the staff reports, administrative record, and written and oral testimony, hereby finds that this ordinance is not subject to CEQA pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) (General Rule), as it can be seen with certainty that approval of the project will not have an effect on the environment.
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28 CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
3750 UNIVERSITY AVE.
RIVERSIDE, CA 92501
(951) 826-5567
Section 3. The City Clerk shall certify to the adoption of this ordinance and cause publication once in a newspaper of general circulation in accordance with Section 414 of the Charter of the City of Riverside. This ordinance shall become effective on the 30th day after the date of its adoption.
ADOPTED by the City Council this _________ day of _____________, 2026.
________________________________
PATRICIA LOCK DAWSON
Mayor of the City of Riverside
Attest:
______________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
I, Donesia Gause, City Clerk of the City of Riverside, California, hereby certify that the foregoing ordinance was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a meeting of the City Council on the _______ day of _______________, 2026, by the following vote, to wit:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF , I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Riverside, California, this ________ day of ______________, 2026.
______________________________________
DONESIA GAUSE
City Clerk of the City of Riverside
314066 ALB 08/31/26
EXHIBIT “A”
Chapter 10.65 E-CONVEYANCES
Section 10.65.010 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning set forth in this section, whether or not capitalized in this Chapter:
Bicycle has the same meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 231, as it may be amended from time to time.
Bicycle Lane has the same meaning as defined in California Street and Highways Code Section 890.4, as it may be amended from time to time.
Bicycle Path or Bicycle Trail has the same meaning as defined in California Street and Highways Code Section 880.4 and California Vehicle Code Section 231.5. as the provisions may be amended from time to time.
Bikeway has the same meaning as defined in California Street and Highways Code Section 890.4, as it may be amended from time to time.
E-Conveyance means any electric bicycle or e-bike, motorized scooter, electrically motorized board, electrically motorized skateboard, or other device that is designed to convey one or more people and is capable of being powered by electric motor propulsion or a combination of human propulsion and electric motor propulsion.
Electric Bicycle or E-Bike has the same meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 312.5, as it may be amended from time to time, and which, as of the date of the adoption of this section, provides that an electric bicycle is a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor that does not exceed 750 watts, classified as follow:
(1) A “class 1 electric bicycle,” or “low -speed pedal -assisted electric bicycle,” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, that is not capable of exclusively propelling the bicycle, except as provided in paragraph (4), that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour, and that is not capable of providing assistance to reach speeds greater than 20 miles per hour.
(2) A “class 2 electric bicycle,” or “low -speed throttle -assisted electric bicycle,” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the bicycle, and that is not capable of providing assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour.
(3) A “class 3 electric bicycle,” or “speed pedal -assisted electric bicycle,” is a bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, that is not capable of exclusively propelling the bicycle, except as provided in paragraph (4), and that ceases to provide assistance when the bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour, and equipped with a speedometer.
(4) A class 1 or class 3 electric bicycle may have start assistance or a walk mode that propels the electric bicycle on motor power alone, up to a maximum speed of 3.7 miles per hour.
Electrically Motorized Board and Electrically Motorized Skateboard have the same meaning as defined in the California Vehicle Code Section 313.5, as it may be amended from time to time.
Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device has the same meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 313, as it may be amended from time to time.
Minor means any person under the age of eighteen.
Motorized scooter has the same meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 407.5, as it may be amended from time to time.
Narrow Width Lane means a lane that is too narrow for a bicycle and a vehicle to travel safely side by side within the lane.
Off-Highway Motorcycle has the same meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 436, as it may be amended from time to time.
Park means a public park owned, operated, and/or maintained by the City.
Pedestrian has the same meaning as defined in California Vehicle Code Section 467, as it may be amended from time to time.
Police Officer means every officer of the Police Department of this City or any officer authorized to direct or regulate traffic or to make arrests for violations of traffic regulations.
Public area means any outdoor area, bicycle path, trail, or lane, public alley, parkway, public transportation path, roadway, right-of-way, sidewalk, park, trail, pathway or street that is owned, granted by easement, operated or controlled by the City.
Trail means a recreational trail which includes equestrian, bicycle, hiking, and open-space trails or paths owned, operated, and/or maintained by the City.
Unsafe manner is defined as an act in violation of this Code, California Vehicle Code, or any other applicable state or federal law. For purposes of this section, operation of an e-conveyance in an “unsafe manner” also includes operating in such a way that constitutes a danger to the operator, passenger, other motorist, other rider, pedestrian, or property.
Vehicle has the same meaning as in California Vehicle Code Section 670, as it may be amended from time to time.
Section 10.65.020 Operation.
A. No person shall ride an e-conveyance in an unsafe manner, as defined under Section
10.65.010, in any public area. Examples of riding in an unsafe manner include, but are not limited to, the following actions:
1. Riding on a public street or bikeway against the flow of traffic.
2. Not yielding to vehicles or pedestrians when required.
3. Operating an e-conveyance in a manner it was not designed for, including carrying passengers when not designed for carrying passengers.
4. Failing to obey posted traffic or other signs.
5. A person under the age of 18 riding without a proper ly fitted and fastened helmet.
6. Engaging in racing, speed, or stunt contests.
7. Carrying any package, bundle, item or article which prohibits the operator from having full control and forward visibility at all times.
8. Operating an e-conveyance at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing taking into account the weather, pedestrian and vehicular traffic, and the surface and width of the sidewalk or roadway.
B. Any person operating an e-conveyance upon a street at a speed less than the normal speed of traffic moving in the same direction at such time shall ride as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, except under any of the following situations:
1. When overtaking and passing another e-conveyance, or vehicle proceeding in the same direction.
2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.
3. When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions, including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, vehicles, other e -conveyances, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or other narrow width lanes, that make it unsafe to continue along the right-hand curb or edge; or
4. When operating as close as practicable to the left -hand curb or edge of the roadway on a one-way street.
C. Persons riding or operating electric bicycles shall not ride more than two abreast, except on paths or parts of a roadway set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.
D. Any person operating an e -conveyance who is emerging from an alley, driveway, bicycle path, building, or otherwise approaching upon a sidewalk or sidewalk area, shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians on such sidewalk or sidewalk area, and upon entering a bicycle lane, highway, or street shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles, or e-conveyances on the roadway.
E. No person shall operate an e-conveyance in any City park.
F. No person shall operate an electric bicycle on any City trail or any City portion of a trail, including the Santa Ana River Trail.
G. No person shall operate an e-conveyance in any parking lot of any property owned or operated by the City. Within such parking lots, e-conveyances must be walked, not ridden.
H. No person shall operate an e -conveyance while holding and operating a handheld wireless telephone or an electronic wireless communications device unless the wireless telephone or electronic wireless communications device is specifically designed and config ured to allow voice-operated and hands-free operation, and it is used in that manner while riding.
I. No person shall operate an electric bicycle on any sidewalk, except:
1. A person may ride an electric bicycle on any area designated as a driveway;
2. Any area designated as a bikeway by the City Council; or
3. To avoid a dangerous situation on the road or an obstacle.
Section 10.65.030 Off-Highway Electric Motorcycles.
A. No person shall operate an off-highway electric motorcycle of any model (examples include but are not limited to Sur-Ron, Talarla, E Ride Pro) on any public area.
B. Off-highway electric motorcycles are only allowed to be operated in areas specifically designed for off-highway vehicle recreation, or on private property with the express permission of the property owner. Unlike electric bicycles, such vehicles are not el igible for highway registration and cannot be retrofitted for on-road use unless originally manufactured and certified for dual purpose operation.
Section 10.65.040 Equipment.
A. Every e -conveyance, when operated within the City, shall comply with all equipment requirements contained in California Vehicle Code Section 21201.
B. An e-conveyance operated during darkness on a highway, a sidewalk where bicycle operation is not prohibited by the local jurisdiction, or a bikeway, as defined in Streets and Highways Code Section 890.4, shall be equipped with all of the following:
1. A lamp emitting a white light that, while the bicycle is in motion, illuminates the highway, sidewalk, or bikeway in front of the bicyclist and is visible from a distance of 300 feet in front and from the sides of the bicycle.
2. A red reflector or a solid or flashing red light with a built-in reflector on the rear that shall be visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps on a motor vehicle.
3. A white or yellow reflector on each pedal, shoe, or ankle visible from the front and rear of the bicycle from a distance of 200 feet.
4. A white or yellow reflector on each side forward of the center of the bicycle, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of the center of the bicycle, except that bicycles that are equipped with reflectorized tires on the front and the rear need not be equipped with these side reflectors.
C. Any minor operating or riding as a passenger upon an e-conveyance in a public area or any other place open to the public for vehicle and pedestrian travel, must wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet.
D. Any operator or passenger of a Class 3 electric bicycle, regardless of age, must wear a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 21213.
E. All e -bikes must have a permanently affixed, prominent manufacturer label specifying the class (1, 2, or 3), top assisted speed, and motor wattage so that law enforcement can readily identify the class of e-bike.
Section 10.65.050 Parking.
No person shall temporarily leave unaccompanied, abandon, or park an e-conveyance in a manner that obstructs vehicular traffic, the pedestrian travel way of any sidewalk or pedestrian path, or on public property in violation of any government sign prohibiting parking e-conveyances at a location.
Section 10.65.060 Enforcement and Penalties.
A. Any person, including a minor, who violates the provisions of this Chapter shall be subject to penalties, fines, and enforcement procedures set forth in Chapters 1.01 and 1.17 of this Code.
B. Violation by Minors.
1. The parent of any child, and the guardian of any ward, shall not authorize or knowingly permit any minor child or ward to violate any of the provisions of this Chapter.
2. In the case of a minor committing a violation under this Chapter, the parent or guardian may be held responsible for the violation and any associated penalties or fines.
3. If the minor’s activities result in damage to public property, the City may, pursuant to California Civil Code Section 1714.1, pursue a civil complaint against the minor’s parent(s) or guardian(s) having custody and control of the minor for every tort resulting in property damage.
C. For juvenile offenders, the Police Department may develop a program to prioritize education, parental notification, and safety- course completion before monetary penalties, except for those violations involving injury, personal damage, reckless operation, or substantial public safety risk.
Section 10.65.070 Exemptions.
A. Law enforcement, first responders as defined under California Government Code Section 8562, City employees, volunteers, cadets, and interns, are exempt from this Chapter while in the performance of their duties.
B. This Chapter is not intended to apply to or otherwise restrict electric personal assistive mobility devices used in a safe manner by physically disabled persons as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. Section 12101 et seq.) and section 36.311 of Title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations.