Park district puts brake on e-bike ordinance until more info gathered

Board Hits Pause on Proposed E-Bike Rules

The Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District will not be adopting a new e-bike ordinance anytime soon — at least not in its current form. At its Aug. 5 board meeting, the board declined to approve a draft ordinance governing electric bikes and scooters on district property, according to the Simi Valley Acorn. Instead, directors sent staff back to the drawing board, directing them to seek additional public input and craft regulations that can be realistically enforced on local trails and parks.

The decision reflects a board wrestling with a fast-moving technology landscape — and the real-world difficulty of writing rules that protect trail users without penalizing the broad swath of Simi Valley residents who ride perfectly legal e-bikes.

What the Original Proposal Would Have Done

The draft ordinance that came before the board would have drawn a sharp line between e-bike classes. It proposed allowing traditional bicycles and Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes on designated paths and trails, while banning throttle-assisted Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes, electric scooters, electric skateboards, electric off-highway motorcycles and similar devices unless the district specifically authorized them. The proposed rules would have covered all district property in both Simi Valley and Oak Park.

Under California law, the three e-bike classes are defined by how the motor engages and at what speed it cuts out. Class 1 e-bikes provide motor assistance only while the rider is pedaling, and the motor cuts off at 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes include a throttle that can power the bike without pedaling, up to 20 mph. Class 3 e-bikes are also pedal-assist only but can provide assistance up to 28 mph, and riders must be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet. The district's draft ordinance also proposed a 15 mph maximum speed limit on district trails, though directors debated whether slower limits would be appropriate in parks and areas shared with pedestrians and young children.

Directors Say the Real Problem Is Modified Bikes, Not Class Labels

The central tension at the Aug. 5 meeting was this: several directors and park rangers questioned whether broadly banning Classes 2 and 3 was the right approach, when their most pressing safety concerns actually involve higher-powered devices — particularly e-motorcycles and bikes that riders have modified to bypass factory speed limits.

The board discussed the difficulty of determining a bike's classification after it has been modified, a challenge that is increasingly common. Changing a bike's motor, software, battery or speed limiter can push it outside its original class and outside California's legal e-bike definition entirely, but that determination is often hard to make in the field. Director Kimberly Cofield said she was not ready to move forward with the ordinance as written and wanted stronger language specifically targeting e-motorcycles and throttle-modified devices.

The challenge is not purely regulatory. One board director described a recent enforcement incident on Bridle Path — a community in the southwestern part of Simi Valley — that required four park rangers and two senior police officers to apprehend a single e-motorcycle rider. That episode underscored both the safety stakes and the resource demands that aggressive enforcement can entail. Directors also raised concerns about rangers pursuing riders — particularly minors — through open space, signaling a need for a clearer pursuit policy. According to the Acorn, the district is in the process of updating and expanding its pursuit policy.

What Happens in the Meantime

The board directed staff to continue developing a revised ordinance — one that could allow unmodified Class 1 through Class 3 e-bikes while placing stricter limits on e-motorcycles and other full-throttle or high-powered devices. Directors also agreed that rangers need additional training to keep pace with rapidly evolving e-bike technology and to identify modifications in the field.

While the ordinance is reworked, the district says it will continue enforcing existing state laws that apply to devices such as electric scooters — including age restrictions and helmet requirements. The district also plans to get ahead of the issue publicly, using its website, social media and outreach to schools to educate the community about current rules and any changes ahead.

The park district plans to coordinate with other local agencies at an upcoming tri-agency meeting, with the goal of aligning regulations as closely as possible across jurisdictions.

Broader E-Bike Enforcement Effort Underway in Simi Valley

The park district's deliberations are happening alongside a parallel effort by the City of Simi Valley to modernize its own e-bike rules. The Simi Valley City Council earlier this year advanced an ordinance updating the municipal code to address electric bikes, scooters and similar devices on sidewalks and shared paths, which officials said predated the widespread adoption of e-bikes and lacked enforceable standards for modern devices.

City data highlighted the scale of the problem: between January 2021 and December 2025, Simi Valley recorded 141 vehicle-versus-bicycle or e-bike collisions, including six fatalities and 131 injuries, with riders found at fault in 74% of cases. Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts told the council that enforcement would prioritize education and voluntary compliance over fines.

Together, these two parallel regulatory tracks — the city's sidewalk-and-path rules and the park district's trail ordinance — reflect Simi Valley's growing effort to bring its public spaces in line with the realities of modern e-bike use.

Residents who want to weigh in on the park district's ordinance as it is revised can monitor updates at rsrpd.org or contact the district at 805-584-4400.