"EMoto Problem" Slides — E-BIKE ACCESS

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"EMoto Problem" Slides

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Consumer Fraud Class Action

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Mt. Tam Watershed Access

Throttle E-Motos

"EMoto Problem" Slides

E-Moto Advisories

Medical Studies

Last Mile Marin "e-motos"

E-moto brands from Marin schools

Huntington Beach data

Orange County accident data

East Bay E-Motos at Middle Schools

Toolbox for Cities and Counties

Consumer Fraud Class Action

Is it worth going to jail?

Folder: Mt. Tam Watershed Access

Folder: Throttle E-Motos

"EMoto Problem" Slides

E-Moto Advisories

Medical Studies

Last Mile Marin "e-motos"

E-moto brands from Marin schools

Huntington Beach data

Orange County accident data

East Bay E-Motos at Middle Schools

Toolbox for Cities and Counties

Consumer Fraud Class Action

Is it worth going to jail?

The E-Bike Problem is an E-Moto Problem.

Read People For Bikes Explanation

View Our Presentation

October 24, 2025

Dear Mayor Morgan and Transportation Manager Shields

I am a retired corporate lawyer who has been focusing on the e-bike/e-moto problem for the past two years. My non-profit, E-Bike Access, promotes expanded access for legal pedal-assist e-bikes and, at the same time, looks for solutions for the public safety problems caused by e-motorcycles being misrepresented as e-bikes. We are helping schools and elected officials in San Mateo and Marin counties, with some success.

I also consult with Alan Kalin and his group, Danville Safety Advocates, whom I've copied here.

I write for two related purposes.

First, congratulations on your excellent presentations as part of the Not My Kid program. Your videos with the Police Chief and the Transportation Manager are particularly timely and informative. This serves as a model for other communities.

Second, we would like to discuss the e-motos that are being ridden in Danville and, in particular, how to enforce the laws requiring driver's licenses, DMV registration, proof of insurance, etc. for those vehicles.

The videos with the Police Chief and Transportation Manager mention this topic, but only briefly.

Here are some suggestions, based on our experience in Marin and San Mateo counties, on steps to be considered with child safety first and foremost in mind.

First, "count the bikes." Let's find out what Danville youth are actually riding to school. How many are legal e-bikes? Which classes? And how many are e-motos, because of their motor size and speed capability? In Marin and San Mateo, we found that most of the electric "wheels" at middle and high schools are of the throttle variety and, most importantly, the vast majority of them are more powerful and faster than allowed for e-bikes. They are e-motos, as explained recently by the trade association for the U.S bicycle industry, People for Bikes, in a series entitled "The E-bike Problem is an E-Moto problem."

As we have done in Marin and San Mateo counties in collaboration with Safe Routes to Schools, we are willing and able to count the bikes/e-bikes/e-motos at your schools and provide a report for your consideration.

We have expertise in identifying vehicles that, due to motor size and speed capability, cross the line from e-bike to e-moto and thus are not street-legal for anyone, including middle schoolers. Usually, it's as simple as looking at the manufacturer's or retailer's website. Here are three of numerous examples, from Electric Bike Center in Walnut Creek. Note that all of them advertise motors larger than 750 watts or capable of more than 20 mph -- the legal limits for throttle class 2 e-bikes:

Second, "track the injuries." In Marin, we have found that the various municipalities have different systems for tracking accidents and collisions, with the County having still another method. Ideally, injury-causing accidents will be recorded by age and type of vehicle (bike, e-bike by class, e-moto). In Marin, from County 911 calls, we have found that 10-15 year olds have 5X the accident rate on electric devices compared with other age groups (even though the difference is only 1.5X on regular bicycles).

And it's the 10-15 year olds who ride predominantly e-motos. Let's gather the data already collected at the county and municipality levels and determine whether a revised reporting/gathering approach is feasible and desirable.

Third, "create a collaborative set of solutions." Educating parents and students on what can and cannot be ridden is important, and Danville has undertaken to do so. The number of e-motos seen in Danville and throughout the Bay Area and beyond shows that education alone is not sufficient; it must be accompanied by enforcement. We understand the enforcement challenges from working with officials in other cities and counties. What works best, in our experience, is a close partnership among city councils, school officials and law enforcement agencies. We would welcome the opportunity to share our ideas and experiences with you.

Ultimately, the degree of success is measured by the number of e-motos at our schools and on our streets, and the number of injuries caused by them. We encourage you to develop a baseline now, as suggested in the first two steps above, and to devise a comprehensive enforcement plan.

As noted, we would be delighted to share our expertise and experience with you at your earliest opportunity.

https://www.ebikeaccess.org

E-bike Access is a 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation.

Advocating Safe and Legal E-Biking

Mt. Tam Watershed Access

Throttle E-Motos

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