E-Bikes - Education and Enforcement
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| E-Bike Safety for Young and Old |
Over the last year, the Clayton Police Department has noticed a significant increase in the number of E-Bikes, motorized E-Scooters, and Electric off-highway motorcycles (dirt bike) operating in the City, the parks and on the trail system. After speaking with many of our law enforcement partners, we’ve learned that the proliferation of these vehicles is not isolated to Clayton. Many cities, throughout California, are dealing with the same issue and have experienced significant injury collisions and fatalities.
Some of these vehicles, classified as E-Bicycles are street legal and only have the same requirements as pedal bicycles. However, some vehicles sold as E-Bikes, (brands like Surron and Talaria), are actually classified as motorcycles. These require off-highway registration, insurance and a driver’s license with a motorcycle endorsement to operate legally and can only be operated in legal off-highway vehicle areas.
Since June of 2024, the Clayton Police Department has made efforts to educate riders, parents and the public through hand-outs, social media posts and the schools. Despite these efforts, there has been a steady increase in the number of these vehicles, which has led to an increase in traffic complaints. These include riders traveling at unsafe speeds on trails, riding in parks and riding in and out of the street with no regard for other vehicles. In some circumstances, operators of E-Motorcycles have attempted to evade police contact.
Clayton is a wonderful community, and we want to ensure our trails, parks and roadways stay safe for everyone. We don’t want Clayton to be added to the list of communities with an injury collision or fatality because of an E-Bike or E-Motorcycle being operated unsafely.
Starting April 14, 2025, the Clayton Police Department, working in partnership with our local schools, will conduct a formal month-long educational campaign to make riders, parents and owners aware of the restrictions and responsibilities that come with the operation of these types of E-Vehicles. Warning citations may be issued to all observed violations.
Beginning May 12, 2025, in the interest of public safety, the Clayton Police Department will enter into a maximum citation enforcement period on E-Motorcycles, E-Scooters and E-Bikes in accordance with the California Vehicle Code and the Clayton Municipal Code.
Riders/Operators may be ticketed, arrested or have their vehicle impounded. Parents/Owners could potentially be ticketed or, in some cases, charged with more serious crimes under the California Vehicle Code and the Penal Code.
The purpose of this education and enforcement is to ensure public safety and prevent the type of tragedy that has befallen other communities.
In addition to the California Vehicle Code, the following Clayton Municipal Codes apply:
10.56.200 – Riding in Parks/Playgrounds & Schools
10.56.140 – Passengers
10.56.160 – Racing prohibited
10.56.170 – Trick riding
10.58.020 – Skateboards and similar devices
11.04.200 – Vehicles in parks
If you have questions or concerns about E-Scooters, E-Bikes, or E-Motorcycles education and enforcement, please contact Traffic Officer Mitch Stroski at
Mitchell.stroski@claytoncapolice.gov / 925-673-7350.
Thank goodness these things are getting out of control. Both my wife and I have been scared to death on the trails by these crazy things. Bob and Sheri
ReplyDeleteAgree 100%
DeleteAbsolutely spot on.
DeleteParents, wake up — those "e-bikes" your kids are riding? They're not bicycles. They're electric motorcycles in disguise. Fast, heavy, and often unregulated. And here's the kicker: no real pedaling, no exercise. You're not promoting fitness — you're enabling risk without reward.
Time to rethink what “riding a bike” really means today.
So true! Last week on a camping trip, We heard a very large 18 year-old child whining because the battery on his E bike was dead. He refused loudly to ride it manually. Yes, his word was “manually“.
DeleteYou would think the city of Clayton would be worried about other larger issues.
ReplyDeleteEd, There’s a big difference between worrying and taking care of business. Worry gets tangled in drama and the politics of the past—action focuses on real solutions. Thanks to four (4) adults on the city council, we are moving forward and things are getting done.
DeleteEd. Your comment reflects your ignorance of the e-bike issue and your lack of concern for the safety of our kids and our residents.
DeleteThank you Clayton PD for addressing the E-Bike issue. It is getting completely out of hand and someone is going to get injured. Eileen and Wally
DeleteWho is this Ed M? Sounds like he is half a bubble out of plumb.
DeleteEd, your idiocy is showing again. Please, get that under control. You really should have someone supervise you online
DeleteEd never heard of James Q Wilson’s broken window theory. If small problems grow into big problems, handle the small problems before they grow into the big ones.
DeleteI'm so glad no one here trusted Ed for Clayton. We would really be in the toilet with his thought process.
DeleteWhen I was a kid we only had horses, peddle bikes and Harleys. When we wanted to have a donut at Winchell's we had to peddle our little bike down there in the street after we collected enough pop bottles to pay for the donuts. Now we have e-bikes and lazy idiots that have never heard of Winchell's and pop bottles and believe sidewalks were created for them to ride on.
ReplyDeletePeddle? How about Pedal? Did you go to Mt. Diablo Elementary in the 80's?
DeleteThanks Anonymous for correcting the spelling. Where I come from that's how we say it.
DeleteBring back and promote pedal bikes. Let get serious and eliminate obesity and out of shape people. E-bikes are a joke and should be banned from our trails and roadways.
ReplyDeleteThey are e bikes. Can we please work on real problems people??
ReplyDeleteThis is a serious issue. If an e-bike lacks pedals, it is classified as a motorcycle, which requires a license, insurance, and proper training to comply with road regulations. It's crucial to stay informed about the accidents and fatalities linked to e-bikes.
DeleteLili, have you ever walked on our trails? It's like a speedway with these things buzzing by. Apparently, the city is working on real problems that affect all of us.
DeleteThis sounds like Lili D is a person who wants to be the judge of what's important to others. She is trying to basically shut people up and disregard their concerns about unlicensed, untrained, and uneducated motor bike riders. I think it is wise to address any issues that are affecting the public, especially in wreckless and dangerous ways that create physical safety issues, as soon as possible.
DeleteWhy are so many people against Lili D. I'm new to Clayton Watch. What has she said in the past to ignite the negative responses?
DeleteLili D has repeatedly used the Nextdoor app to make negative, condescending, and rude remarks towards neighbors. Despite her claims that she would never resort to a third-party site to voice her opinions, she's proven otherwise. Her behavior was so disruptive that I believe the app creators ultimately removed her from the platform.
DeleteI honestly have never seen this person on this news site. I know they may be posting somewhere else but never here. I've looked at past articles and don't see their name anywhere...
DeleteLili D’s comment is reflective of her ideology. I hope “People“ see that she thinks her concerns are the only concerns that should be considered. It doesn’t really matter to her that a lot of “people“ are worried about getting hit by a kid on an E bike, myself included. There are little kids on basically what amounts to a motorcycle and we are starting to see them everywhere. Why are we training little kids to learn to ride motorcycles?
ReplyDeleteI hope this isn't the same Lili D from next door; she was rude and condescending to the neighbors.
DeleteThank you Clayton Watch for letting Lili D prove her ignorance. As the old saying goes: You can never be sure how dumb a person is until they open their mouth.
ReplyDeleteI applaud tiny Clayton's Police Dept for having such a prudent response regarding two new laws 2025 on ebikes. The popularity of electric bikes is worthy of safety visits and revisits. Maintaining safe travel conditions for pedestrians to cars and everything inbetween takes time.
ReplyDeleteThank you CPD and the City for prioritizing safety with this developing mode of transportation.
Catv
I AGREE
DeleteNot only is Lili D uninformed on the dangers associated with e-bikes she is a hypocrite. Lili D said on a Nextdoor Clayton Watch post that she would never click on a third-party website. Well, here she is clicking and commenting on Clayton Watch. I guess she just could not resist the opportunity to show everyone how uninformed she is.
ReplyDeleteLili you may wish to do a little AI search to learn more about the dangers of e-bikes before you make a complete fool out of yourself. Here is just one piece of information for you:
A 2024 bulletin from the American College of Surgeons said e-bikes “are emerging as a public health threat.”
That statement is based on data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which estimates e-bike injuries led to roughly 53,200 emergency room visits across the United States between 2017 and 2022, the most recent year with available data. Nearly half of those ER visits— about 24,400— happened during 2022.
Great job hitting her with statistics!
DeleteLili D proves her ignorance every time she posts on any site
ReplyDeleteWho is Lili D?
DeleteNo one knows. I heard she/he was recently kicked off Next Door for being a troublemaker. Her comment above seems harmless.
DeleteCould Lili D and Ed M be together? They both claim to know everything.
DeleteI think Lili D and Ed M are the same person because they both made the same dumb comment.
DeleteEd M claims to know Lili D. That's because it is him.
DeleteShe didn’t say what issues were more important than the bikes. Would have liked to hear what those are.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny; Lili D suddenly becomes quiet. Usually, she has lots to say but says nothing all at once.
ReplyDeleteI agree, she usually has a lot to say about nothing.
DeleteI really appreciate our new city council and the police department. Both are now tackling all the important issues facing our city head on. Thank you Clayton PD for addressing the e-bike issue and thank you city council for supporting this effort. Eileen and Wally
ReplyDeleteSeriously, who is Lili D? Am I missing something?
ReplyDeleteLilli D, formally know as Lisa D, is someone that uses a fake name on nextdoor and other social media to hide their identity in order to post misleading and false comments. Both Lili D and Lisa D have been pulled down on nextdoor and are close allies with Holly Tillman.
DeleteJust think. . . With California being so broke, we are now giving e-bikes away for free. Their reasoning, “these bikes will help riders with faster commutes and make it easier to transport young kids or groceries.. And for every e-bike trip on the road, that is one car trip someone’s not taking,” she said, “making sure that the air we breathe in our communities is cleaner and is safer.” I'm not sure what these people are drinking or smoking but their logic doesn’t make sense.
ReplyDeleteGet your free e-bike today by visiting https://www.kqed.org/news/12036516/california-ebike-incentive-project-voucher-lottery-when-do-applications-open-2025-april
Is Lili D./Lisa D. in hiding? It’s clear that the nonsense ends here! 🤣🤣
ReplyDeleteI think blaming eBikes for the reckless riding is very uninformed. The fastest bike riders on our trails tend to be mountain bikes. eBikes are geared much lower than mountain bikes and therefore can't reach the speeds of mountain bikes. The maximum speed for Class 1 or 2 eBikes is 20 mph with motor assist, where many mountain bikes have the gearing to reach 40mph. The "speed limit" on our trails is 15 mph (generally speaking) and I think we would be better served by patrolling the bike paths looking for people riding fast. It would also be nice if people on bikes would announce they are coming up behind you, IN ADVANCE OF PASSING YOU!
ReplyDeleteMany of the ebikes can be modified to exceed speeds of 60 mph. If you think that’s safe on the trails, you might be misinformed.
ReplyDelete