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# E-bike Ordinance Heads Back to Committee After Councilmember Says Trail Ban Was a Mistake
- URL: https://www.raincrossgazette.com/e-bike-ordinance-heads-back-to-committee-after-councilmember-says-trail-ban-was-a-mistake/
- Published: 2026-09-24T12:00:14.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-24T12:00:15.000Z
- Description: Councilmember Sean Mill said banning e-bikes from the Santa Ana River Trail was never the intent. Another councilmember also asked for crash data broken down by e-bike class.
- Author: Micaela Ricaforte
- Tags: City Hall

The City Council unanimously sent a proposed e-bike ordinance back to committee Tuesday, Sept. 22, after council members and residents said its restrictions could prevent responsible riders from using the Santa Ana River Trail and other places where cycling should be allowed.

The vote means the city did not adopt the proposed rules — which, as written, would have banned electric bikes from city trails, including the Santa Ana River Trail; prohibited e-bikes, scooters and similar devices in city parks; and required riders to walk those devices through city-owned or operated parking lots.

Councilmember Sean Mill, who worked on the proposal with Councilmember Chuck Conder, said the trail ban resulted from a miscommunication as they worked with the Police Department and City Attorney’s Office.

“It was never our intent at any time to ban the e-bikes from use in the Santa Ana River Trail,” Mill said. “It wasn’t supposed to be there.”

The council [first considered the ordinance Sept. 15](https://www.raincrossgazette.com/riverside-to-weigh-new-e-bike-safety-rules-amid-rising-injuries/) but continued it. Mill said Tuesday's version was unchanged.

Kevin Dawson, a Ward 2 Parks and Recreation commissioner speaking as an individual, said in public comment and a written statement to the council that the proposed restrictions made no distinction between a responsibly ridden, pedal-assisted bike and the devices or behavior behind safety complaints. Greg Marrujo, president of the Riverside Bicycle Club, called the ordinance too broad, saying many older club members ride electric bikes on the Santa Ana River Trail.

Dawson also asked the city to review how the rules would affect people with mobility disabilities. He said he can ride an e-bike but finds walking long distances painful, yet the proposal would make him walk it through a city parking lot. He called for the Parks and Recreation Commission to review the park and trail provisions.

The proposal grew out of complaints about reckless riding. Conder said reports of riders on sidewalks and damage to park fields prompted his work on it. The Police Department reported more than 200 e-bike-related calls to dispatch and 311 from Jan. 1 through July 1, and 22 e-bike-related crashes. Lt. Chad Chinchilla said the crash count did not include a more recent collision that killed two riders.

Councilmember Steven Hernandez asked how many of the 22 crashes involved Class 1, 2 or 3 e-bikes. Chinchilla said the department did not have that breakdown available and would have to review the incidents individually. Hernandez urged staff to distinguish among the classes as it revises the ordinance and suggested barring riders under 18 from Class 3 e-bikes.

The draft would prohibit unsafe riding, including traveling against traffic, failing to yield and performing stunts. It also would bar off-highway electric motorcycles from public areas and allow parents or guardians to be held responsible for violations by minors. Police said violations could carry fines of up to $250 for an infraction or $1,000 for a misdemeanor.

Council members asked staff to revisit where the restrictions would apply, including bike trails at Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park and roads through Fairmount Park. Mill, who chairs the Safety, Wellness and Youth Committee, said it could discuss possible exceptions at a public meeting. Chinchilla said police have begun distributing e-bike safety information and plan to offer free public instruction.

No date was announced for the committee’s review or the ordinance’s return to the full council.