Regulating Electric Bicycles, Other News from Sen. Blakespear

Greetings!

The popularity and explosive growth in the number of e-bike riders across San Diego and Orange counties has created a steady drumbeat of calls to my office for more regulation to protect the safety of riders and the public. 

In my family‚ we have had both the negative and positive experiences that come with e-bikes. Our daughter witnessed a dangerous e-bike crash that caused serious injury. However‚ we were early adopters of e-bikes‚ and my 79-year-old mother regularly rides one to her gym workouts! 

One of the greatest risks of e-bikes is high speeds and dangerous riding‚ especially when driven by inexperienced‚ and sometimes too young riders. 

The state has existing regulations on e-bikes. However‚ misleading marketing of “e-bikes” has led to many things being sold and used as e-bikes that are actually more accurately classified as mopeds or motorcycles. 

The fastest e-bikes‚ defined as Class 3‚ cannot legally be ridden by anyone under the age of 16. However‚ many people don’t know what class of bicycle they are buying‚ what its top speed is or whether it is even an e-bike. 

After working with bicycle and street safety groups‚ I have introduced legislation to stop these deceptive sales. 

SB 1167 expressly states that misrepresenting faster electric vehicles as e-bikes is false advertising that can be prosecuted. In addition‚ sellers of faster or more powerful bicycles would be required to inform consumers that they don’t meet the definition of an e-bike and therefore require vehicle registrations and licenses to operate.

Finally‚ every e-bike sold in the state would be required to have a label on its frames facing skyward‚ so it is easy to see and read‚ identifying what class of e-bike it is and the maximum speed it can go. 

This should eliminate misrepresentation‚ and confusion‚ in the marketplace. When people buy a vehicle of any kind‚ they should know what they are getting‚ what the requirements are to operate it and what the range of speed and dangers are. 

What’s an E-bike?

This picture shows some of the many different two-wheeled electric vehicles sold. Some do not meet the California definition of an e-bike. Source: Mineta Transportation Institute.

A Growing Market

According to the market research company IMARC Group‚ the sales of e-bikes are expected to continue to grow in coming years‚ making it more important than ever that people understand the differences among the types of vehicles being sold.

With‚ from left to right‚ Eddie Walker‚ property manager for Quint Apartments; Greggory Bottoni‚ veteran participating in the program; Supervisor Paloma Aguirre‚ Chair Pro Tem of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors; and David Estrella‚ Director of San Diego County Housing and Community Development Services.

I was happy to present a $1.67 million check to San Diego County to fund a program that provides affordable housing to veterans.

The money will be used for the Homelessness Prevention Landlord Incentive Program‚ which provides direct payments to landlords to lower rental costs for veterans who qualify for assistance through the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. In 2025‚ the county invested $683‚900 in landlord incentives‚ helping secure housing for 243 veterans. 

The landlord incentive program reduces barriers that keep people from renting an apartment. Landlords need a security deposit and the assurance that any damage to the unit will be covered‚ among other things‚ in order to rent their units. I am thrilled that I was able to secure state funding to support a system for the men and women who have served this country to get quickly into places to live. 

I presented the check to San Diego County Supervisor Paloma Aguirre‚ Chair Pro Tem of the Board of Supervisors. Watch the entire press conference here. 

“We are incredibly grateful to Senator Blakespear for her leadership in securing this $1.67 million investment for the County of San Diego’s Homeless Prevention Landlord Incentive Program‚” Supervisor Aguirre said. “This isn’t just a win for the balance sheet—it’s a lifeline for San Diegans. It is far more humane and fiscally responsible to keep a roof over someone’s head today than to build a shelter bed tomorrow‚ and this funding allows us to move from reactive crisis management to proactive prevention.”

From left to right‚ Alyssa Muto‚ Solana Beach City Manager; Kristi Becker‚ Solana Beach City Councilmember; Michele Stribling‚ volunteer for SeaWeeders Garden Club; Lesa Heebner‚ Solana Beach Mayor; myself; Ann Craig‚ board member of Solana Beach Community Connections; Jewel Edison‚ Solana Beach City Councilmember; and Jill MacDonald‚ Solana Beach Deputy Mayor. 

I was excited last week to present the City of Solana Beach $300‚000 in state funding to help pay for extending the Coastal Rail Trail on the city’s north end. 

The trail‚ a designated path for bicyclists and pedestrians‚ starts at the city’s southern border at Via de la Valle and continues north‚ running between the railroad tracks and Highway 101‚ before stopping at Ocean Street. The project‚ which will extend the trail on the east side of Highway 101 north from Ocean Street to Encinitas‚ is scheduled to start construction next fall and be completed by March 2028. 

The project extends the concrete path complete with landscaping and irrigation‚ as well as making improvements to the existing trail. 

“Sen. Blakespear has been a long-time supporter of our region’s network of interconnected trails‚ and we are so grateful for her dedication to this project and our Coastal Rail Trail‚” said Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner. ”This $300‚000 grant will support improvements to the northern end of the Rail Trail and its completion in Solana Beach‚ all the way to the border with the City of Encinitas‚ providing a safe and scenic path for pedestrians and cyclists.”

Diversity‚ equity and inclusion are words that make real the promises of our nation’s founding documents. These words should be celebrated‚ not denigrated. Watch my comments on this by clicking on the image above.

With‚ from left to right‚ Amanda Walsh‚ VP Government Affairs‚ Orange County Business Council; Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent; Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes; Chancellor Witney Yamamura‚ Coast Community College District; Robert Mestman‚ Orange County Senior Assistant District Attorney; President Dr. Angelica L. Suarez‚ Orange Coast College; Trustee Elizabeth Dorn Parker‚ Ed. D.‚ Coast Community College District; Paul Simonds‚ Sr.‚ VP and Chief Operating Officer‚ Orange County Business Council.

California’s voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 36 in November 2024 – to increase sentences on certain drug and theft crimes and require that repeat offenders who need alcohol or drug counseling and treatment have the opportunity to get it. 

Ever since‚ I have been fighting hard to get state funding to reimburse local law enforcement agencies and the courts for the increased costs involved. Originally‚ the proposed state budget for 2025-26 included no support for Prop 36 implementation‚ but I joined in a bipartisan effort last June calling for more funding that resulted in $100 million being added to the state budget. 

I was glad recently to join the Orange County Business Council at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa for a panel discussion with law enforcement officials and others about Prop 36‚ its impacts and costs. I heard loud and clear from community stakeholders the need to fully fund Proposition 36 so treatment programs can be provided statewide. 

Thanks for your input and engagement‚ and I remain committed to honoring voters’ wishes and fulfilling the promise of Prop 36.

I recently visited the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University with Oceanside officials‚ including Oceanside Mayor Esther Sanchez (to my right)‚ to see how artificial reefs that will be used to protect Oceanside’s beaches are being tested. 

Oceanside is leading the way in coastal innovation with its RE:BEACH program to retain and restore sand on its beaches. 

I recently joined city representatives at Oregon State University‚ where researchers are testing the artificial reef through advanced wave simulations. This model is the next best thing to building the reef in the ocean. The work will help finalize a design that brings sand back to Oceanside’s shoreline and strengthens our coast for generations to come.

This effort is powered by strong regional and state support‚ a reflection of how deeply Californians value our beaches. Healthy coastlines are essential to our way of life‚ and I’ll continue championing projects like this that safeguard our coastal future. Watch my video here on Instagram.

I’ve been working on gun violence prevention since being elected to the Senate in 2022. In September 2023 (photo above)‚ Gov. Gavin Newsom signed my SB 452‚ which prohibits the sale or transfer of a semiautomatic pistol made after Jan. 1‚ 2028‚ unless it has been verified as a microstamping-enabled pistol. With microstamping‚ the handguns will etch unique identifiers on expended cartridges‚ providing law enforcement with valuable information to help identify shooters.

This is good news! Gov. Gavin Newsom has just announced $107 million in gun violence grants being awarded through the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) program‚ with several going to organizations in San Diego County. 

The awards include:

• $5 million for the City of San Diego Mayor’s Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention. This program has led strategic coordination and collaboration among the city‚ law enforcement agencies‚ social service providers and the general public to significantly reduce gang involvement and its negative impact.

• $4.99 million for UC San Diego for its Prosocial Skills Program that provides a variety of personalized services‚ such as tattoo removal‚ career assistance and resiliency classes‚ to gunshot victims and youths in areas with high gun violence.

• $1 million for the Pala Band of Mission Indians to implement comprehensive‚ culturally rooted‚ trauma-informed strategies to prevent youth gun violence.

• $999‚996 for Paving Great Futures to reduce gun violence in San Diego’s most impacted neighborhoods. The program strives to engage high-risk individuals‚ prevent retaliation and connect participants to employment‚ education and other supportive services.

• $997‚695 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego to enroll hundreds of youths at high risk of being involved in gun violence into an intervention program to prevent gun violence and advance positive change.

• $322‚009 for the Monarch School Project in San Diego‚ which serves more than 600 K-12 students‚ families and alumni experiencing homelessness each year. The program reduces gun violence risk through mental health care‚ academic support‚ college and career support‚ and other supportive services.

California has significantly less gun violence than other states‚ thanks to our tough gun laws and preventative programs like these. To learn more about CalVIP and all the grants awarded‚ go here.

I was happy to talk with San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce during its recent visit to the state Capitol and answer questions about what the Legislature is doing to make housing and the cost of living more affordable. Thanks for the discussion!

Don’t miss this town hall on March 26 that I am co-hosting with Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley!

Thank you for your support. I am honored to serve you. 

In partnership‚

Email me at Senator.Blakespear@Senate.ca.gov
Call my Carlsbad district office at (760) 438-2005
Call my Laguna Hills district office at (949) 598-5850
Call my Capitol office in Sacramento at (916) 651-4038