Council backs e-bike safety pilot that limits Class 1/2 use by young riders

San Diego City Council on Tuesday approved a consent-item ordinance to opt into a state e-bike safety pilot that would set a minimum age and other guardrails for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes.

Council Member Campillo, who moved the consent agenda, said the ordinance uses authority granted by state law to create "common-sense guardrails" focused on education, accountability and safety after consultations with health and safety advocates. He told colleagues he had "spoken with the families, spoken to the doctors" and urged action to prevent serious injuries involving young riders.

Public comment included both support and opposition. Aurora Livingston spoke on behalf of State Senator Catherine Blakespear in support, saying the senator applauds San Diego's education-first approach and the ordinance's reasonable age restriction; Leif Genzer, an avid e-bike rider, opposed age restrictions on Class 1 and Class 2 bikes and urged investment in safe bicycle infrastructure instead.

Council members voiced a mix of support and caution. Council Member Elo Rivera said he would monitor enforcement closely to avoid disproportionate impacts on Black and brown youth, and Campillo noted that the pilot requires data collection, including stop and demographic information, that could inform future policy. The consent agenda containing S501 passed with the majority of the council; the item was adopted as part of the consent voting block.

The ordinance implements the local opt-in under the state pilot (AB 2234) and emphasizes education-first enforcement; the council recorded no separate roll-call split specifically for S501 because it passed within the consent package.