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A California bill that would set a statewide sidewalk speed limit and impose new requirements on electric bicycle sellers and manufacturers has made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.
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Assembly Bill 2346, authored by Assemblymember Lori Wilson, D-Suisun City, aims to reduce unsafe e-bike riding and injuries by using a multifaceted approach. Some of the bill’s language relates directly to e-bikes, specifically to those making and selling the devices, while other sections of the bill address speeds for everyone using bike paths, multiuse trails and sidewalks.
The goal of the bill is not to restrict e-bike access, Assembly Transportation Committee Chair Wilson said. However, “given what was happening with the injuries, we needed behavior change.”
Sidewalk speeds and seller requirements
If Newsom signs the bill, anyone riding a device or using an alternative mode of transportation on California sidewalks will need to follow a 10 mph speed limit starting Jan. 1, 2027, according to the bill text. Law enforcement could issue tickets — with a fine to-be-determined by the California Judicial Council — to any motorist, cyclist, skateboarder, scooter rider or roller skater who violates the limit. Officers would enforce the rule by using radar guns or pacing, where they travel next to a vehicle to determine its speed.
This part of the bill directly addresses concerns brought forth by doctors, said Angela Hill, legislative advocate and registered lobbyist with the California Medical Association, which sponsored AB 2346.
“A lot of the injuries that our physicians do see do occur in and around sidewalks, crosswalks, and include pedestrians,” Hill said. CMA began engaging with state lawmakers on e-bikes after doctors and other medical professionals continued to see “an alarming increase in severe and traumatic injuries as a result of people riding electric bicycles,” Hill added.
Crashes involving e-bikes rose from just two reported to law enforcement in 2018 to 1,506 in 2024 in California, according to UC San Diego researchers’ analysis of state crash data. The data is complicated by the presence of e-motos — which are illegal on roadways but have often been confused for legal e-bikes — but nevertheless shows crashes involving faster-moving electric devices have risen statewide.
Under AB 2346, e-bike sellers and distributors would need to provide written disclosures, including its classification under California law, its maximum speed and wattage, the state’s e-bike laws and age and helmet requirements. They would also need to share, in writing, the website address for the California Highway Patrol’s e-bike safety and training program and a recommendation that any riders under 16 years old not travel faster than 15 mph.
Sellers and distributors that violate these requirements could face fines of up to $500 for the first conviction, $750 for a second conviction within three years and $1,000 for a third or subsequent conviction within five years of two or more prior convictions.
The bill would also require manufacturers and distributors to apply a permanent label including the classification number, top assisted speed and motor wattage of the electric bicycle.
All e-bikes manufactured, sold or offered for sale starting Jan. 1, 2029, would need to have an integrated or detachable front lamp and a rear lamp. All Class 2 e-bikes manufactured, sold or offered for sale on or after that date would need to include a speedometer.
The bill would also allow local governments to set speed limits on bicycle paths and multiuse trails, which can already be established by local ordinances. Local authorities would be guided to set limits of 15 or 20 mph, or 10 mph in limited areas with high pedestrian traffic or limited visibility.
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While not a mandate, the provision “is a signal to local governments to set speed limits as a way of going after devices that are going much greater speeds,” such as e-motos, said Alex Muegge, a spokesperson for Wilson’s office.
Bipartisan support with some opposition
Assembly Bill 2346 passed without a recorded “no” vote, Wilson said.
However, it did face external opposition from the start.
Streets for All, Streets are for Everyone and the California Bicycle Coalition — organizations advocating for alternative modes of transportation and safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists — submitted statements citing concerns about how the bill restricted legal e-bike use, CalBike Executive Director Kendra Ramsey said.
All the issues that CalBike initially brought up were addressed through changes to the bill text, Ramsey said. One of the alterations was increasing the sidewalk speed limit to 10 mph from 5 mph. The organizations removed their opposition following the adjustments.
However, PeopleForBikes, a national advocacy and industry trade association, has remained opposed to the bill due to some of the requirements for manufacturers and sellers. The association’s main concern is that all Class 1 e-bikes would have to be sold with front and rear lighting equipment starting in 2029, according to a statement submitted in opposition. Bicycles are already required to use lights at night in California, so the requirement would go beyond existing state regulation.
Other e-bike bills
The bill now awaits a signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has until the end of September to sign or veto it.
AB 2346 was one of many e-bike bills introduced following the release of a state-commissioned report from the Mineta Transportation Institute, which provided an in-depth analysis of California e-bike use.
One e-bike bill, Assembly Bill 1569, became law on Thursday, requiring the CHP and California Department of Education to develop a statewide training program for students in grades seven through 12 on traffic laws and how to properly ride an e-bike.
Bill author Assemblymember Laurie Davies, R-Laguna Niguel, said in a statement that the goal is for more children to know the rules of the road before using a faster device.
Senate Bill 1167, which would help clarify what counts as an e-bike, passed the Legislature on Friday.
Other bills have not had as much success. Assembly Bill 1942, which would have required Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes to be registered and display a special license plate, stalled in May.
However, Wilson said she is confident that AB 2346 will be signed into law.
“Folks have been really demanding we do something about e-bikes, just because of the level of injuries,” she said. “I feel confident that it will make it across the finish line with the governor.”
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