Hello
This is a concern of all people who walk daily and need to fight with high speed E-bikes some look like dirt bikes on sidewalks. It seems it’s a fight for sidewalk space which usually pedestrians ending up on the grass letting them go by at a high rate of speed. Bike lanes mean nothing to them either. There are state laws about them being driven on sidewalks but without any identification it’s had to report them to law enforcement. With the speeds they can get up to it seems they should be required to register with the DMV as a EV just like cars are registered. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously injured by an E-bike on a sidewalk. Something needs to be done. Thank you,
Alan
Hi Alan,
Thank you for writing in. You are not the only person concerned about this, and I hear versions of this complaint more and more often. When pedestrians feel like they have to move onto the grass to avoid a fast-moving e-bike or dirt-bike-looking device on the sidewalk, that is not just annoying, it is a legitimate safety concern.
The biggest frustration for many residents is that sidewalks are supposed to feel predictable. People walking should not have to wonder whether something silent and fast is about to come up behind them. That is especially true for seniors, families with young children, and anyone walking a dog, pushing a stroller, or simply trying to enjoy town without having to dodge moving machines.
The first thing to know is that Seal Beach Municipal Code addresses this issue. In fact, it addresses it in more than one place. The SBMC generally prohibits riding wheeled devices on city sidewalks unless specifically authorized under another section of the code. SBMC § 8.10.040 says sidewalk riding is only allowed where the city traffic engineer has posted signs permitting it because riding in the street would be hazardous. In addition, the city’s regulated mobility device chapter broadly prohibits riding regulated mobility devices, including bicycles and electric bicycles, on sidewalks and requires operators to use due care and reduce speed. Put simply, the general rule in Seal Beach is that sidewalks are for pedestrians, not for riding e-bikes and similar devices.
That is the local piece. The state law piece is where things get more complicated. Under California law, a true electric bicycle must have fully operable pedals and an electric motor of no more than 750 watts. The law breaks e-bikes into three classes. Class 1 and Class 2 top out at 20 miles per hour with motor assistance. Class 3 can assist up to 28 miles per hour, and riders must be at least 16 years old. Class 3 bikes also come with additional helmet requirements.
This is important because not everything people call an “e-bike” is actually an e-bike under California law. Some of the larger devices that look more like small dirt bikes or mopeds may fall into a different legal category. That matters because true e-bikes are generally not registered like cars, but mopeds are. So when residents ask why these things do not have license plates, the answer is that some legally do not need them, while others may not even belong in the e-bike category in the first place.
That lack of visible identification does make reporting harder. I understand that frustration. If someone blows past you on a sidewalk and is gone in seconds, there is not always much for a witness to work with. That said, details still help. Time of day, exact location, direction of travel, clothing, helmet use, whether the bike had pedals, and whether it looked more like a bicycle or a small motorcycle can all be useful. Problem areas and recurring patterns matter. If we know where something is happening, we can direct attention there.
This is also one of those issues where education and enforcement both matter. Many riders, especially younger ones, may not understand that speed changes everything. A pedestrian and a bike moving at ordinary bicycle speed are one thing. A pedestrian and a machine moving much faster on a narrow sidewalk are something else entirely. The difference in speed, weight, and reaction time is exactly why these close calls make people so uneasy.
We have written about bicycle and e-bike rules before, and the message is still the same. If you are riding, slow down, use the street or bike lane where appropriate, follow the rules of the road, and stay off the sidewalk unless you are in a location where it is specifically permitted. If you are operating something that is really closer to a moped or mini motorcycle than a bicycle, the rules may be even stricter.
Residents should not have to give up the sidewalk to avoid being hit. Sidewalks are for walking. That is the bottom line.
If you see recurring issues in a particular location, please continue to report them to the Seal Beach Police Department non-emergency line at (562) 594-7232. That helps us identify hot spots, respond to complaints, and focus education and enforcement where it is needed most.
Keep your questions coming, Seal Beach! Email us at askacop@sealbeachca.gov today!
