Bikers beware.
New rules are coming to regulate behavior on State Street.
The Santa Barbara City Council on Tuesday night voted 7-0 to make several changes designed to improve safety for everyone on State Street.
“It is not better today than it was four months ago, and it is not better today than it was a year ago,” Councilman Mike Jordan said. “I fear we are just doing what councils do. We are ordinancing things to death, and what do we do after we do that?”
The changes will require riders to use bike lanes where possible, and require riders to ride in a single file, and no more than two abreast, except on paths or roadways designed exclusively for bicycles.
In addition, the ordinance will require yielding to pedestrians when emerging from an alley, driveway and bicycle path.
It also prohibits the riding of a bicycle or electric bicycle on any sidewalk.
Riders under 18 will need to wear a properly strapped helmet, and all bicycles will be required to have reflectors affixed to both the front and back wheels.
The ordinance also prohibits the operation of a bicycle or electric bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake that enables the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
Sullivan Israel, president of Strong Towns Santa Barbara, questioned whether there was a safety issue considering there were only five pedestrian-bicycle collisions in Santa Barbara in 2022, 2023 and 2024. He also pushed back a bit on the idea that people would not be able to ride their bikes on the sidewalk in certain situations.
He said he uses the sidewalk on one block to avoid the busy four-lane intersection, but then gets back on the road after the block. Israel said he is not looking forward to having to explain in court why he rode on the sidewalk, at a time when he said no one is on the sidewalk, to avoid a ticket.
“I hope that officers use their discretion wisely,” Israel said.
Administrative fines will be in place for people who break the rules. The first citation will be $100, and the second violation will be $200. After that, fines will be $500.
The ordinance will give officers wide discretion to ticket as they see it in action.
Ever since the city abruptly closed downtown State Street to vehicles without any review from advisory boards, many people have said they felt unsafe with the bikes whizzing down the street, passing pedestrians and others not on bikes.
The popularity of e-bikes has exploded in recent years, and the rule changes apply to bicycles, electric and motorized bicycles, and electric scooters.
“Something that I have learned over the years sitting on this dais is that ordinance writing is an art; it is not a science,” Councilwoman Meagan Harmon said. “Similarly, enforcement of our ordinances is an art, and I feel almost nowhere is that more true in our municipal code than when it comes to e-bikes.”
Daniel Ramirez, director of strategic initiatives for the Downtown Organization, said the organization supports the ordinance.
“The proposed ordinance demonstrates the City Council’s commitment to fostering a culture of responsibility and awareness among its riders and creating safe spaces for all to enjoy,” Ramirez said. “Enforcement of bike safety is of the highest importance for the future of our downtown and the well-being of our community.”
The city also plans to start a diversion program to replace impounding. The program will help facilitate education on bicycle and e-conveyance laws and safety while simultaneously allowing parents/guardians to participate in those conversations. The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse will work with city staff to develop and administer the diversion program to handle safety violations committed by juvenile riders, according to the ordinance.