PROCLAMATION OF BICYCLE, E-BICYCLE AND
MOTORIZED MOBILITY DEVICE SAFETY LOCAL EMERGENCY
IN THE CITY OF CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA
WHEREAS, the California Emergency Services Act, including California Government Code Section 8630, and the City of Carlsbad's Emergency Services Ordinance, including Carlsbad Municipal Code Section 6.04.100(A)(1), empower the City Manager, as the City of Carlsbad's Director of Emergency Services, to proclaim the existence of a local emergency, subject to ratification by the City Council, when there exists, or there is threatened to exist, conditions of extreme peril to safety of persons and property within the City of Carlsbad.
WHEREAS, the Director of Emergency Services finds:
1. Conditions or threatened conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property have arisen within the City of Carlsbad caused by the increased prevalence of e-bicycles (e-bikes), other similar electric or motorized mobility devices, and traditional bicycles on city streets, which has led to increased collisions resulting in injury or death.
2. In 2019 there were 30 collisions involving bicycles or e-bikes reported in Carlsbad.
3. In 2020 there were 62 collisions involving bicycles or e-bikes reported in Carlsbad.
4. In 2021 there were 100 collisions involving bicycles or e-bikes reported in Carlsbad.
5. To date in 2022, 57 collisions involving bicycles or e-bikes were reported in Carlsbad.
6. U.S. traffic fatalities began climbing in 2020 and the deadly trend is continuing.
7. According to estimates by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, U.S. roadway deaths rose 10.5% in 2021 and an additional 7% during the first three months in 2022, the highest number for the first quarter in two decades.
8. The increase in deaths is due to speeding, impaired or distracted driving and other reckless behavior.
9. E-bikes are faster and heavier than traditional bicycles and e-bike injuries are more likely to be more severe and require hospitalization than traditional bicycle injuries.
10. E-bikes and similar electric or motorized mobility devices are increasingly used by school age children to go to and from school and for other activities on local streets.
11. Schools in the Carlsbad Unified School District will be opening on August 24, 2022, joining the other schools in Carlsbad and additional education facilities Bicycle, E-Bicycle and Motorized Mobility
Device Safety Local Emergency
in the region that have already opened or will be opening in the coming days, causing increased traffic on local streets and the potential for additional bicycle, e-bike or other vehicular collisions.
12. To counter the increasing number of bicycle or e-bike collisions, the Carlsbad Police Department increased enforcement and education efforts and, in April 2022, the city adopted an ordinance regulating mobility devices, including e-bikes.
13. On June 22, 2022, the Carlsbad Police Department hosted an interagency traffic enforcement day in Carlsbad where 240 traffic citations were issued.
14. Despite these efforts, the city continues to experience e-bike or bicycle collisions with vehicles, including two fatal collisions occurring within the past 17 days.
15. The city needs to continue these efforts and proactively seek out and implement additional measures to reduce the number of collisions involving bicycles or e-bikes while also educating the residents of Carlsbad about the dangers of impaired or distracted driving on our local streets and roads.
16. The City Council of the City of Carlsbad is not in session and will not hold its next meeting until August 30, 2022.
NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS PROCLAIMED that a bicycle, e-bike, and motorized mobility device safety local emergency now exists throughout the City of Carlsbad, California.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that during the existence of the local emergency, the powers, functions and duties of the emergency organization of the City of Carlsbad are those prescribed by state law, by ordinances and resolutions of the City of Carlsbad and by the City of Carlsbad Emergency Plan.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that all City of Carlsbad officials and employees cooperate and coordinate efforts with officials and employees of other political subdivisions and officials and employees of the state and federal government in bringing the conditions underlying the local emergency under control.
IT IS FURTHER PROCLAIMED AND ORDERED that the local emergency shall continue to exist for the next 7 days, and thereafter by ratification of the City Council of the City of Carlsbad, until its termination is proclaimed by the City Council.
Dated: ZZAUGZZ By:
Scott Chadwick, City Manager &
Director of Emergency Services