I wanted to let people on here know about my recent experience getting into E-Bike advocacy for the first time. I think it's important for people to get involved if they want to get more trails opened to legal E-Bike usage.
I live in the Bay Area, CA where there are lots of different land managers and different rules in each place. I have yet to find a sign anywhere in the East or South Bay banning E-Bikes, but if you dig on the web you can usually find the land use regulations.
Well, I hadn't done that and was riding in the Mid Peninsula open space last weekend with a friend and got stopped by a ranger who said they are not allowed. There are signs that say "No Motorized Vehicles" all over the place, but according to AB 1096 which became law in 2015, Electric Bicycles are not motor vehicles:
"24016. (b) Aperson operating an electric bicycle is not subject to the provisionsof this code relating to financial responsibility, driver'slicenses, registration, and license plate requirements, and an electric bicycle is not a motor vehicle."
The law further goes on to specify that Class 1 E-Bikes can be used anywhere a non-powered bike can unless the land manager decides against their use, but signs must be posted if that is the case. Mid-Pen has no E-Bike specific signs, but they have the rule in their land-use regulations and the rangers are enforcing it. Ug.
Here's where it gets interesting. I was given the option of a verbal warning or a written warning, and the ranger suggested that if I wanted to help the cause I should take the written warning because they count those. He claimed that the more documentation they have that e-Bikes are being used, the more likely it will be that the rule will be changed in favor of them. He also asked me to go speak at the next board meeting to move the process along faster.
So I took the written warning and went to the board meeting today to speak. They give you 3-minutes but I went over a bit andy they allowed it. I had a nice speech prepared and it was well received. I used my motorized vehicle argument and I think they knew exactly what I was talking about and knew that the lack of signage is a problem, but they don't want to put up signs that they will just end up taking down later (I was told this by the ranger that stopped me). I was told that they have someone working on it and they thanked me for speaking.
Afterwards, one of the staff members and the head ranger came to thank me personally for showing up and speaking. The ranger really wanted the rule to be changed because they feel they are wasting their time issuing warnings to e-Bike riders. It does no harm and makes no sense to them and they would rather not do it. They ask everyone they stop to go speak at the board meetings but hardly anyone actually does it.
So if any of you Bay Area E-Bike riders want to help, please go to a Mid Peninsula Open Space District meeting and sign up to advocate for E-Bike usage. California law is clearly on our side, and it looks like it's going to happen eventually, but every little bit of support helps. Mid-Pen really has some great riding if you've never been there, and if you have, you know what I'm talking about!
https://www.openspace.org/about-us/board-meetings
I live in the Bay Area, CA where there are lots of different land managers and different rules in each place. I have yet to find a sign anywhere in the East or South Bay banning E-Bikes, but if you dig on the web you can usually find the land use regulations.
Well, I hadn't done that and was riding in the Mid Peninsula open space last weekend with a friend and got stopped by a ranger who said they are not allowed. There are signs that say "No Motorized Vehicles" all over the place, but according to AB 1096 which became law in 2015, Electric Bicycles are not motor vehicles:
"24016. (b) Aperson operating an electric bicycle is not subject to the provisionsof this code relating to financial responsibility, driver'slicenses, registration, and license plate requirements, and an electric bicycle is not a motor vehicle."
The law further goes on to specify that Class 1 E-Bikes can be used anywhere a non-powered bike can unless the land manager decides against their use, but signs must be posted if that is the case. Mid-Pen has no E-Bike specific signs, but they have the rule in their land-use regulations and the rangers are enforcing it. Ug.
Here's where it gets interesting. I was given the option of a verbal warning or a written warning, and the ranger suggested that if I wanted to help the cause I should take the written warning because they count those. He claimed that the more documentation they have that e-Bikes are being used, the more likely it will be that the rule will be changed in favor of them. He also asked me to go speak at the next board meeting to move the process along faster.
So I took the written warning and went to the board meeting today to speak. They give you 3-minutes but I went over a bit andy they allowed it. I had a nice speech prepared and it was well received. I used my motorized vehicle argument and I think they knew exactly what I was talking about and knew that the lack of signage is a problem, but they don't want to put up signs that they will just end up taking down later (I was told this by the ranger that stopped me). I was told that they have someone working on it and they thanked me for speaking.
Afterwards, one of the staff members and the head ranger came to thank me personally for showing up and speaking. The ranger really wanted the rule to be changed because they feel they are wasting their time issuing warnings to e-Bike riders. It does no harm and makes no sense to them and they would rather not do it. They ask everyone they stop to go speak at the board meetings but hardly anyone actually does it.
So if any of you Bay Area E-Bike riders want to help, please go to a Mid Peninsula Open Space District meeting and sign up to advocate for E-Bike usage. California law is clearly on our side, and it looks like it's going to happen eventually, but every little bit of support helps. Mid-Pen really has some great riding if you've never been there, and if you have, you know what I'm talking about!
https://www.openspace.org/about-us/board-meetings