From RCSD General Manager Sharon Landers:
Now that the RCSD has passed an ordinance prohibiting the operation of e-bikes in our parks and posted signs to notify e-bikers of this prohibition, I am asked how do we intend to enforce? You may be surprised to learn that the District’s adoption of park rules does not create a legal obligation to provide continuous on-site enforcement or immediate response to every observed violation. Like many public agencies, the District establishes rules to promote safe and appropriate use of its facilities, but practical limitations prevent staff from being present at all times to monitor and enforce compliance.
The posting of park rules and signage serves several purposes, including informing park users of prohibited activities and establishing the District’s expectations for use of its facilities. Those notices also help limit the District’s potential liability by demonstrating that users have been advised of applicable restrictions and safety requirements. Most importantly, however, the existence of a rule does not create a requirement for a dedicated enforcement presence. Compliance often depends on a combination of user education, voluntary adherence to posted regulations, staff observation, and, when appropriate, assistance from law enforcement or other authorities.
In the case of e-bikes, safety concerns have become prevalent at the local, regional, state, and national levels. This is a societal problem being grappled with that the District cannot fix on our own. Fortunately, there have been positive efforts in Orange County and California to begin to address the issue of unsafe behavior of e-bikers more broadly. Following a collision on a public street by an e-biker with a supped-up bike (more likely a motor bike) with an elderly gentleman who later died, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced that he was creating a new unit in his office to vigorously prosecute parents for child endangerment. In addition, the California State legislature is considering licensing class 2 and 3 e-bikes, and at least one middle school in Orange County is no longer allowing their students to use e-bikes to get to their school. And the District has urged the County Board of Supervisors to allow the Sheriff’s Department to confiscate e-bikes that have exhibited unsafe behavior.
While it is frustrating to observe violations by e-bikes in the parks and on public roads, more tools must be put in place by the County and the State for enforcement to be viable. Nevertheless, reports from the public remain valuable because they help the District identify recurring issues, evaluate operational needs, and determine whether changes to policies, staffing, signage, or enforcement practices should be considered.
Sharon Landers,
General Manager
Rossmoor Community Services District
5 Responses
I guess more innocent people will have to be injured or killed by unruly e-bike riders before laws are enacted???
I really tired of being bullied, challenged, cursed at, and forced out of my lane in the roads in Rossmoor by gangs of what are basically teen and preteen kids using their evokes like weapons and threatening drivers and pedestrians . They ignore the laws of the road and their parents turn a blind eye. This must change!!!!
Hopefully, no one else gets injured with smart policies. The concern is very valid. Maturity level of young riders is not ready for this dangerous responsibility. Passing a driver’s test for a higher speed motor vehicle with rules of the road understanding is common sense going back decades. Multiple e-bikes riding in parallel in a single lane on a major boulevard and Rossmoor streets, while some riding on a single back tire among vehicles, is senseless behavior and dangerous for our youth and others. We are already allowing smart phones to destroy the minds of the youth. Let’s not do the same with e-bikes. Walking before running is a normal progression in life. Mini motorcycles and motorized bikes have always had rules and regulations for on and off roading going back over fifty years. Current entitlement theory is not the right answer and yes it seems appropriate that parents are held lawfully accountable for any public violations.
I have an E bike. It is designated class II. I am in my 70’s, and I use it (the electric part) if I don’t feel like peddling quite so much. I don’t pop wheelies, I don’t drive at night, I do wear a helmet, and I don’t harass people. I anticipate that I will need to get a license for my bike: additional expense. It is a shame that a handful of largely male teenagers are making life unpleasant for others, and also limiting my own use and adding to the expense of my unmodified E bike.
Thank you, Ms. Landers, for explaining the District’s position and the practical challenges of enforcing the new e-bike ordinance. I appreciate the District’s efforts to improve safety while recognizing the realities of limited staffing and resources.
I also think it’s important to distinguish between responsible e-bike riders and those who ride recklessly. Many teens and adults use e-bikes responsibly, obey traffic laws, respect pedestrians, and understand that parks are shared spaces. They should not be unfairly grouped together with the small number of riders whose unsafe behavior has created these concerns.
Unfortunately, many of the most dangerous incidents involve young riders who are not yet old enough to qualify for a driver’s license but are operating high-powered motorized bikes capable of speeds that demand maturity and good judgment. Parents who purchase these vehicles for their children have an important responsibility to ensure they are used safely, legally, and with appropriate supervision. Teaching respect for traffic laws, pedestrians, and park rules should begin at home.
I support the District’s efforts to improve safety while encouraging continued public education and appropriate enforcement. Ultimately, the goal should be to protect everyone—pedestrians, families, cyclists, and responsible e-bike riders alike. Working together as a community, we can promote safe riding without unfairly penalizing those who follow the rules.
While well-intentioned, the RHA proposal re: e-bikes has no teeth. Perhaps this is because RHA has no legal authority to promulgate or enforce laws governing operation of these potentially lethal means of transportation. Laws governing speed limits, sites of operation (eg on streets only; not sidewalks), non-obstruction of traffic lanes, minimum age requirements for e-bike operators and their passengers, mandatory obedience of traffic signs and traffic lights, mandatory helmets for e-bike operators and their passengers, and holding parents responsible for dangerous and illegal actions taken by their children operating e-bikes should be considered by those responsible for implementation and enforcement of traffic laws. RHA would be doing a service by identifying (OC and/or state) lawmakers’ names and email addresses so that appeals for such legislation may be sent to them by concerned members of our community.