Editor,
Young riders operating high-powered electric bikes, or e-bikes, in Foster City are creating an urgent public safety concern. Many operate these bikes — some capable of exceeding 30 miles per hour— without helmets, proper training or regard for traffic laws. Reckless behaviors such as running stop signs, making sudden lane changes without looking and riding while using phones are becoming increasingly common. This not only puts the riders at risk but also endangers and puts undue stress on pedestrians and drivers, who must now navigate around a fast, unpredictable and unregulated presence on our roads.
(5) comments
Agree, with easygerd. This letter isn't really talking about your typical ebike. As a "Class 1" bike, my bicycle is regular-sized, speed-limited to 20 mph by motor, and I must pedal (no throttle). It's been a lifesaver for me as I navigate hills in my mid-50s and has allowed us to have just one car in a family of four. It is has barely any risk greater than a "regular" bike. The LTE is talking about another type of vehicle entirely, one that is dangerous to both riders and pedestrians and should be regulated.
This LTE is not talking about e-bikes.
They are currently the healthiest and most sustainable form of transportation.
They don't require license, registration or insurance because they have way more benefits than they cause harm.
This LTE is talking about eMopeds or electric motorcycles. Huge difference.
It's like talking about a Toyota Corolla and a stock car.
Most of these eMoped are not street legal. Those that are would require a drivers license, registration and insurance.
Why CA allows them to be sold and shipped here is a mystery. There are plenty of products you cannot get in CA because they are either illegal to sell or illegal to own or companies don't like the regulations here. These devices should not be sold to parents and kids unless the proper paperwork has been provided. The companies that build them and the shops that sell them should be held liable.
That said, if these kids hurt anybody it's most likely themselves, and pain is a great teacher.
Whereas if they don't learn now and their stupid parents buy them sports cars later, these teenagers might grow up to kill parents of twins on El Camino Real:
https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/vehicular-manslaughter-for-crash-that-killed-2-parents-in-redwood-city/article_8985baa2-a7be-11ef-8314-e3b0b2586bbb.html
eGerd – TBot here. It’s interesting you know better than what the author talks about when he penned his LTE. We can all see the author mentions e-bikes more than half a dozen times and not once does he mention eMopeds or electric motorcycles. Regardless, should we assume you don’t want e-bikers to have license, registration, or insurance? If so, release the lawyer hounds. Parents/guardians may want to up their umbrella insurance liability coverage (assuming these liabilities are covered). BTW, how much clearance do these riders need when lugging 10 bags of groceries or a case of bottled water?
Exactly my point TBot. Cats and Dogs. If someone talks about cats, but is using the word 'dog' it is easy to spot - at least to the educated.
The LTE is complaining about eMopeds, but using the wrong word to describe them. E-bikes and eScooters are currently the only real Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) out there - everything else is basically greenwashing. E-Bikes have even a lower carbon footprint than regular bicycles. Plenty of cyclists on regular bicycles can still ride faster than these e-bikes, who top out at 28mph or "still slower than any car on a 25mph street.".
Many cities around here still have (illegal) municipal codes on the books that require bicycle registration with the fire department, but most cities don't even have the forms or processes to do it. They want no part of it anymore, so Sacramento put that now into laws. No registration for e-bikes, BUT still for e-mopeds and e-motorcycles.
And certainly the fire or police departments have more important things to do. They have their hands full with all those car-scofflaws out there. Just the amount of carpool cheating going on along 101 now requires an army of CHP officers to deal with.
Cities do not care much about people on bicycles as they can't do much harm, but the same people in a car, can easily kill plenty of people. Just look at recent examples:
- San Francisco - Driver (78) kills 4 people at bus stop (07/05/2024)
- Magdeburg Christmas market - Anti-Islamist kills 6.
- Mannheim (2 dead, 10 injured)
- Redwood City (2 injured)
- Munich (02/13/2025)
- Vancouver (11 dead)
- Copenhagen (12 injured)
- Chatham, Illinois (4 children killed) (05/01/2025)
- Cayman Island - Suspect drunk driver ploughs down pedestrians (05/15/2025)
- Liverpool - 53 old drives into Liverpool football crowd (05/26/2025)
Thanks for your letter, Mr. Atwal, but aren’t e-bikes subject to the same rules as cars? If so, let’s begin enforcing those rules and as needed and begin impounding e-bikes, as necessary, while also handing out fines. Perhaps legislation to add that moving e-bike infractions count against the rider and having too many will not allow folks to get driver’s licenses, or will result in some losing their existing driver’s licenses? These actions wouldn’t discourage e-bike use but would promote responsible riding and protect everyone who shares our roads, sidewalks and parks. BTW, I wonder how many lawsuits have been filed by pedestrians injured by e-bikes. And how many lawsuits have been filed against the city vs. e-bike riders or their guardians. I’m betting this will increase.
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