Editor’s note: Over the past few weeks, The Coronado News asked each of this year’s City Council candidates questions about the most pressing topics concerning Coronado. The candidates’ responses have been presented in a different order each week to ensure fairness. The candidates are limited to 200 words for each response. There are two positions up for grabs on Coronado’s City Council in the November elections. Kelly Purvis, Andrew Gade, Ricky Hoyt and Rebecca King are vying for the open seats. The topic covered this week is e-bike regulation.
Question 1: In the past year, the City Council has imposed new regulations on e-bikes and other electric modes of transportation. Are you satisfied with the restrictions and the enforcement? If not, what policies would you change, and why?
Question 2: A violation of e-bike rules would be a $25 citation. Should there be a larger fine or other penalties?
Question 3: Do you think there should be an age limit to operating an e-bike and what is that limit?
Kelly Purvis
Answer 1: No, I am not satisfied with the current restrictions or the enforcement in our community. Coronado’s restrictions are a start, but I am not satisfied that we have done enough to make our streets safe. As for enforcement, we have a limited number of patrol officers and e-bikes are everywhere.
Until we can change the state law, I want consistent enforcement of the rules we now have in place, along with education for both riders and parents. I am currently advocating for stronger standards at the state level: a minimum riding age of 16, a rules-of-the-road test, registration, insurance, helmets for every rider, no phone use and passengers only on bikes built to carry them.
In 2024, I was struck by two youths on an e-bike. I know how quickly unsafe riding can cause harm. The driver of the bike wore no helmet and had a phone in his hand. His passenger, who fell off the back of the bike, was transported to the hospital by ambulance and suffered a concussion, but it could have been much worse. This is a priority and I intend to give it my continued focused attention as your council member.
Answer 2: Yes, there should be larger fines and additional penalties, especially after dangerous or repeated violations. I support a mandatory safety course for a first offense, followed by escalating fines for repeat offenses and, where legally permitted, temporary impoundment when a rider repeatedly puts others at risk. Penalties should give riders a reason to change their behavior before someone is seriously hurt.
When a minor is cited, parents should be notified and required to participate in the safety course as well. They need to know what kind of bike their child is riding, whether it is appropriate for their age, and that their child must wear a helmet and follow traffic laws. If a bike is impounded, a parent should be involved before it is returned.
Parents should also understand that an e-bike crash can carry consequences far beyond a citation or education. Depending on the circumstances, they may face legal liability if their child injures someone. My goal is to prevent harm through education, meaningful enforcement and parental accountability.
Answer 3: Yes. I support a minimum age of 16 for operation of any e-bike and am advocating for that change statewide. In April, I met with Assemblymember Tasha Boerner in Sacramento to discuss my list of requirements to operate an e-bike. Coronado was first in San Diego County to adopt prohibiting children under 12 from riding e-bikes. California requires Class 3 riders to be at least 16. That standard should apply to all e-bike classes statewide.
The injury data underscores the urgency. Research presented by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons found that pediatric e-bike accidents in San Diego increased by more than 300% from 2019 to 2023. Among injured e-bike riders under 18 treated at a San Diego pediatric trauma center, the average age was just 12.6. San Diego County reported 865 emergency department visits and 186 hospitalizations related to e-bike injuries in 2024. Young people ages 10–19 accounted for approximately half of those emergency visits.
E-bikes provide useful transportation, but safe operation requires judgment, maturity and knowledge of traffic rules. A consistent minimum age of 16, combined with rider education, meaningful enforcement and parental involvement, would help protect young riders and everyone sharing our streets.
Andrew Gade
Answer 1: As a member of the Mobility Committee, we work directly with the city and law enforcement on e-bike safety. Over the years, our group has been pushing for more safety regulations and enforcement, helping to shape our current policies.
Answer 2: A $25 citation may not be enough to discourage someone from breaking the rules. I would support a larger fine or one that would increase substantially for subsequent offenses. Enforcement is arguably the most important part of the equation and should be mainly focused on educating riders about safety and the law.
Answer 3: I do support our current city regulations, including prohibiting riders under 12 from operating any e-bike.
Ricky Hoyt
Answer 1: I think we’ve made progress, but there is more to do. E-bikes themselves are not the problem; irresponsible operation is. They are an efficient alternative to cars and a great way to get around Coronado when ridden responsibly.
Coronado prohibits children under 12 from operating e-bikes and prohibits e-bike riding on sidewalks, beaches, parks and certain pedestrian areas. Those are reasonable steps.
Going forward, I would focus on education, targeted enforcement and accountability. Because our schools are major concentrations of young riders, I would explore requiring students who ride and park e-bikes at school to complete approved safety training covering traffic laws, helmets, passengers, intersections, pedestrian areas and e-bike classifications, and receive a school parking permit or sticker.
Enforcement should focus on conduct that creates risk, including speeds unsafe for the conditions, particularly around schools during arrival, lunch and dismissal. We should also distinguish legal e-bikes from illegal e-motorcycles and modified bikes that no longer meet California’s e-bike classifications.
The goal isn’t to discourage e-bikes. It’s to encourage responsible use and make our streets safer.
Answer 2: I believe a fine is important because inappropriate actions should have consequences, but simply increasing the fine isn’t enough. I favor graduated consequences based on the seriousness and frequency of the behavior.
For young riders, violations should combine an appropriate consequence with safety education and parental involvement, particularly when violations are repeated. Repeat violations should bring increased consequences, while dangerous or reckless behavior should carry stronger penalties.
Carlsbad provides a model worth examining. When a minor commits certain violations that create an immediate or substantial public-safety risk, the e-bike may be impounded. The rider must complete an in-person safety course, and a parent or guardian must be present before the bike is returned.
Adults should also be held accountable through consistent enforcement of existing traffic laws, with consequences appropriate to the violation.
The objective isn’t simply collecting fines; it’s changing behavior through education, parental involvement and meaningful accountability.
Answer 3: Yes. I believe an age limit is appropriate. E-bikes allow young riders to travel at speeds and distances that require greater judgment and understanding of traffic laws than conventional bicycles.
Coronado prohibits children under 12 from operating e-bikes, while California requires riders to be at least 16 to operate a Class 3 e-bike, which can provide motor assistance up to 28 mph.
I would retain Coronado’s current under-12 restriction. I think 12 is a reasonable starting point, but reaching a certain birthday doesn’t automatically make someone a safe rider. That’s why the age requirement should be supported by the education, parental involvement and enforcement measures I described above.
We should also continue evaluating collision and enforcement data to determine whether our age rules are actually improving safety and whether changes are warranted.
The goal should be making sure young riders have both the maturity and knowledge necessary to operate an e-bike safely — not simply setting an age and assuming the problem is solved.
Rebecca King
Answer 1: I applaud our City Council for adopting an e-bike ordinance in late 2024, but Coronado can do more. Our age restrictions follow the California Vehicle Code, including the new San Diego County e-bike pilot program, which sets a $25 fine for a rider under 12. Coronado can impose stricter fines for other types of infractions involving motorized mobility devices (that includes e-bikes) on sidewalks, beaches, and boardwalks. Those laws already exist; Coronado needs to enforce them.
I would:
Educate: Many residents and visitors don’t know what legally counts as an e-bike. Some of the fastest devices on our streets are electric motorcycles, which are prohibited on our sidewalks or paths. I would roll out a publicity campaign for e-bike laws. It doesn’t need to be expensive: a video by our police, posting on the city’s website and social media accounts, would go a long way.
Enforce: Rules only work when enforced consistently. Police should regularly report warnings, citations, and fines so residents can see the e-bike ordinance at work.
Impound: State law allows officers to impound illegal e-motorcycles, modified e-bikes, and Class 3 e-bikes ridden by children under 16. Coronado should use that tool, and we should also pass an ordinance like Carlsbad’s that allows impoundment when an e-bike rider creates an immediate, substantial risk to public safety.
Answer 2: Yes, for most violations. The state set the $25 fine only for riders under 12, which may be waived if parents have their child complete a safety course. I support keeping that, because the goal with young children is education. Other violations are different, such as riding on sidewalks and boardwalks. Under state law, the city can set fines of up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 after that. I support a graduated approach: a warning and education the first time, fines for repeat offenders, and impoundment of illegal or modified e-bikes and in cases of great risk to public safety (discussed above). I’d rather see fewer tickets than more revenue, but penalties need to be adequate to change behavior.
Answer 3: Yes. State law already says riders must be at least 16 to operate a Class 3 e-bike, the fastest kind, which can reach 28 mph. Coronado prohibits children under 12 from riding Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. I support both limits. I want them enforced, and I want parents to have the information they need to decide whether their teen is ready for an e-bike. The under-12 rule is part of a state pilot program that expires Jan. 1, 2029. Coronado should push to make it permanent, so our age limit doesn’t disappear when the pilot ends.
