Overview
- The City Council, which took its final vote Tuesday, approved a rule barring children under 12 from operating Class 1 or 2 e‑bikes within La Mesa in a 4-1 decision.
- Enforcement will start with a 60-day warning period for kids, followed by possible $25 fines and, in some cases, confiscation of the bike.
- Officials cited safety data to justify the move, noting Rady Children’s Hospital tracked severe e‑bike trauma cases climbing from 3 in 2021 to 262 last year.
- Critics, including Councilmember Laura Lothian in her lone no vote, argue the policy targets safe family riders while the main problem is reckless older teens, and they point to thin past enforcement with only three e‑bike citations on record.
- The ordinance is part of the San Diego Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program under AB 2234, and the council signaled next steps that include targeted enforcement on reckless riding, safety classes with bike groups, added bike lanes near schools, and a one‑year check‑in.