Agda Pkt 2025.12.22 Joint SA PFA

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I understand that you might find this situation surprising and disappointing, but I would hope that, just as the City rightly expects operators of mobility devices and bicycles to follow applicable law, the City Council would set a good example itself by also following applicable law. Among the matters covered by the Vehicle Code are operation on the highway of bicycles, electric bicycles (e-bikes), motorized scooters (electric or gas-powered), electric personal assistive mobility devices (EPAMDs, often referred to by the brand name Segway), electrically motorized boards (electric skateboards), low-speed vehicles (also known as neighborhood electric vehicles), and potentially other unspecified similar mobility devices, as cited in in the ordinance. Confusingly, state laws governing these various devices were adopted at different times and for different purposes, and may therefore be incomplete or inconsistent with each other (or scattered in various parts of the Vehicle Code). Local authority to regulate these devices also varies, so no single ordinance is likely be able to regulate them all in a uniform way. The Vehicle Code and Powers of Local Authorities How does the Vehicle Code regulate these devices, and what powers, exactly, do local authorities have with respect to each? Bicycles: Under §21200, operators of bicycles have all the rights and are subject, with a few exceptions, to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by Division 11 of the Vehicle Code, Rules of the Road. Chapter 1, Article 4 of that division contains other special rules applicable to bicycles. In particular, §21206 permits local regulation of bicycle registration and the parking and operation of bicycles on pedestrian or bicycle facilities (i.e., sidewalks and paths; legislative history makes it clear that this authority does not extend to bicycle lanes on the roadway, but in the interest of brevity I'll pass over those details for now). In addition, §21100(h) allows local regulation of bicycling on sidewalks. §21207 deals with establishing bicycle lanes on the roadway. Electric bicycles: E-bikes are considered a type of bicycle (§§231, 312.5), and all the considerations cited above apply. In particular, §21207.5 allows local authorities to permit or prohibit electric bicycles on off-road paths. Authorized pilot programs in Marin and San Diego Counties give those counties and cities within them additional powers to regulate e-bikes, but they do not yet apply elsewhere in the state. Motorized scooters: Chapter 1, Article 5 covers operation of motorized scooters (the term includes both electric and gas-powered scooters (§407.5)). Their operators, like bicyclists, have the rights and are subject to the provisions applicable to vehicle operators, and there are additional operating and equipment requirements. The City does have some latitude to regulate motorized scooters. §21225 permits local authorities to regulate motorized scooter registration and their parking and operation on pedestrian or bicycle facilities and local streets and highways, if that regulation is not in conflict with the Vehicle Code. §21230 permits local prohibition of motorized scooters on bicycle paths or trails or bikeways; the term "bicycle trail" is undefined, but "bikeway" is sufficient to cover all classes of bicycle facilities (Streets and Highways Code §890.4). As a rule, motorized scooters may not operate on roads with a speed limit above 25 mph, except in