The City of Santa Barbara updated its city code to cover e-bikes, giving police officers discretion to administer citations for “unsafe” riding, including an option for a youth diversion program intended as a solution to reckless e-bikers causing issues with pedestrians around town.
Changes to the municipal code have been in the works for months, and an earlier draft was considered by the city’s Ordinance Committee back in October 2024 . Since then, Police Chief Kelly Gordon worked closely with Assistant City Attorney John Doimas to tailor the e-bike regulations to help the city cut down on unsafe riders and to educate the community about the definition of “e-bikes” and what types of bikes would be allowed on Santa Barbara streets.
Chief Gordon outlined the e-bike regulations during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. The updated ordinance would cover three classes of e-bikes: Class 1, which are pedal-assist only with a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour; Class 2, which are equipped with throttles and go above 20 mph; and Class 3 bikes, the fastest allowed in the city, with pedal assist and a maximum speed up to 30 mph.