Body of News Release
UPDATE 3/25: The Board approved the introduction of the e-bike ordinance and scheduled it for May 20 on the agenda's consent calendar for potential adoption.
Marin County, CA – The e-bike accident rate in Marin County for 10-15-year-olds is five times higher than for all other age groups according to Marin 911 data. That stat mirrors the national trend.
A draft ordinance heading to the Marin County Board of Supervisors would make it illegal for children under age 16 to operate a Class 2 e-bike in unincorporated Marin and require riders of all ages to wear helmets on such e-bikes. Class 2 e-bikes have a throttle, with a maximum assisted speed of 20 mph.
The Supervisors will discuss the draft ordinance at 1 PM Tuesday, March 25. Details are in a staff report published March 20 as part of the meeting agenda. If the item receives Board support, the ordinance will be placed on the May 20 consent calendar. The new law would go into effect July 1.
Last year, Marin’s representative in the State Assembly, Damon Connolly, authored Assembly Bill (AB) 1778 that allows jurisdictions within Marin to pass ordinances to put new restrictions on Class 2 throttle e-bikes. Marin’s cities and towns will consider similar ordinances over the next few months with the same July 1 effective date to provide consistency across Marin.
In April 2024, the Marin County Civil Grand Jury published a report urging the county and Marin’s cities and towns to pass these new laws.
Connolly said AB 1778 was driven by concerns from Marin residents, trauma doctors, and emergency responders as well as clear data showing that young riders in Marin were experiencing serious injuries from high-speed e-bike collisions at what he called alarmingly disproportionate rates.
“This bill has shown what is possible when state and local policymakers work together directly in partnership with community members to prioritize the safety of our young people,” Connolly said.
Marin County has a vested interest in e-bike safety. From 2019 to 2022, 911 calls in Marin related to all bikes rose 110% among school-aged youth. In fall 2023, Marin County Public Health began collecting data on 911 responses to e-bike injuries. The data shows the e-bike accident rate for 10-15-year-olds is five times higher than for all other age groups. On conventional bikes, the same group has a 1.5 times higher accident rate than other age groups.
Marin County Supervisor Mary Sackett has advocated for increased e-bike safety measures from Sacramento and Washington D.C., since Marin County Public Health issued an e-bike safety alert in November 2023. The alert strongly encouraged families with young children to choose pedal-assist Class 1 e-bikes for young riders.
“E-bikes enable riders to travel farther distances and flatten the hills of Marin. We want people to ride e-bikes safely. This ordinance provides clarity: Young riders under age 16 should not be on throttle-powered e-bikes. Until now, we could only strongly recommend that middle and elementary schoolers avoid them — now, we’re setting a clear, enforceable standard.
Education about e-bike safety is our primary objective, which is why we are rolling out a countywide public education campaign to inform parents and teens about the risks and responsibilities of e-bike use.”
The County is working with the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) and the countywide Special Committee on Youth E-bike Safety to launch a public education campaign in May to ensure parents and teens are aware of local regulations under AB 1778 ordinances, recognize the importance of brake maintenance on faster and heavier bikes, and follow the rules of the road.
The March 25 meeting will be livestreamed and later archived on the County website and aired on the Community Media Center of Marin (CMCM) website. It will be aired live on Channel 27 for Comcast and AT&T U-verse subscribers.