Anaheim City Council members are publicly debating whether to overhaul current e-bike regulations and if police enforcement needs to change, as Voice of OC reported. This discussion comes amid a regional increase in electric bicycle-related injuries since 2024, prompting city officials across Orange County to update local laws to address unsafe riding.
Police Chief Manny Cid informed city council members last week that Anaheim police have primarily focused on educating children and their families on e-bike safety. The department has issued approximately a dozen or fewer tickets over the past couple of years. During the same period, Chief Cid noted a sharp increase in e-bike related accidents within the city, rising from two in 2024 to 16 in 2025, and then to 38 so far in 2026.
Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava, who is running for reelection, expressed a preference to avoid citing children and families. However, she underscored the urgency of the issue, stating at the Oct. 27 city council meeting that “It’s life or death at this point.” She urged the police department to track warnings issued and called for the city to take quicker, more significant action on a larger scale. Rubalcava emphasized the extreme danger of e-bikes, sharing that her own children are not permitted to use them due to safety concerns.
Chief Cid acknowledged the need for a balance between citations and education. He cautioned that a heavy enforcement approach could challenge police partnerships with parents who might feel their children are being targeted for riding bikes to school. The department will continue to assess the situation to find a proper balance, which may include increased enforcement alongside educational efforts. Councilman Carlos Leon, running for reelection unopposed, questioned whether the department had established a specific collision threshold that would trigger a stricter enforcement approach. Cid affirmed that trends would be monitored, and the council would be updated if the uptick continued.
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken suggested requiring children under 16 to complete a safety course and potentially obtain a permit to use e-bikes, an initiative police officials said they are pursuing with school districts. Mayor Aitken is running for reelection amid allegations of drinking at government functions and making racially insensitive remarks, which she denies while acknowledging struggles with alcoholism and attending rehab. The city has initiated an outside investigation into these allegations. Councilwoman Natalie Meeks, also running for reelection unopposed, highlighted the success of the educational approach in Anaheim Hills, the area she represents. Meeks clarified she is not opposed to e-bikes but is against what she termed “e-motorcycles” on streets due to their danger, stressing the importance of teaching responsibility and adherence to laws.
The discussion in Anaheim follows actions in other Orange County cities. Santa Ana officials recently voted to implement an ordinance banning e-bike riding in playgrounds, imposing speed limits, allowing parents to be cited, and permitting e-bike impoundment. Lake Forest City Council members were expected to consider an ordinance to allow Orange County Sheriff deputies to impound e-bikes from children riding in restricted areas, such as playgrounds, or operating e-bikes capable of speeds up to 28 miles per hour. Lake Forest officials are also considering an agreement with a towing company that would require e-bike owners, not taxpayers, to cover towing costs directly.
