STOPPED THE BAN
Huntington Beach Reverses Electric Bike Ban On Boardwalk!!
Huntington Beach reverses e-bikes ban on beach trail - O.C. Register
Thanks to everyone who helped support the "Stop The Ban" campaign. Electric bikes will now be allowed on the beach path that lines the sand in Huntington Beach, but more education and enforcement is needed, officials said, to ensure the fast-moving bikes can co-exist with other path users. The City Council on Monday, April 5, voted unanimously to strike a previous ban on e-bikes put in place in 2017, before the recent surge in popularity.
Councilwoman Natalie Moser noted that with the ordinance being repealed, the city will need to address speed limits and how to enforce rules.
It is up to us to ride at safe speeds when sharing the path with pedestrians too. I'd like to thank Craig Bradford and Frank Hayes both retired firefighters and Elux Owners who played a key role in the campaign. Their input and participation with the city council was one of the prime drivers of and key to the reversal of the ban. Big thanks to Both Frank and Craig!
Take Care and Ride Safe!
JP Blake
Co-Founder
Elux Electric Bikes
What is Happening?
The City of Huntington Beach, working with the Orange County Parks Commission will look to find solutions to better accommodate all users, including e-bike riders, of the boardwalk, while also maintaining safe environment to address speed limits and enforce rules.
Why Does this Matter?
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E-Bikes on to PCH would Causing Severe Injuries/Fatalities.
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People with Physical Limitations & Disabilities will be able to Ride with Friends and Family and use the space as intended.
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Local Small Businesses will continue to benefit from the many e-bike riders that come to the community.
What Can You Do?
Stay tuned to this page as we will continue to provide updates and information on this topic.
Original letter from E-Lux Co-Founder and CEO, JP Blake, explaining the arguments for this cause.
My name is JP Blake Co-Founder and CEO of E-Lux Electric Bikes.
To give you some background, E-Lux Electric Bikes was founded in 2014 by Josh Blake, a 21 year resident of Huntington Beach, John Paul Blake (Myself), a 31 year resident of Huntington Beach, and Jerry Bridgeman, a 42 year resident of Huntington Beach.
E-Lux Electric Bikes would like to state its position on the City of Huntington Beach’s decision to begin selectively enforcing an old law meant to keep motorcycles, bikes with gas powered engines, and mopeds off the bike path. It will now be enforced in order to single out Electric Bikes, denying them the use of the bike path along the beachfront or adjacent areas as well as other bike paths across the city.
If the city begins selective enforcement of this outdated law it will force people riding E-Bikes out on to Pacific Coast Highway and congested traffic areas, where many cars are parked or waiting for parking, and others are also traveling at high speeds. This will put people at risk of serious injuries and fatalities.
This will also discriminate against an entire class of people (E-Bike Riders) as there is no safe area to ride other than the bike path. E-Bikes are classed as bicycles and allowed on bike paths across the country by federal law as well as most states (including California) by state law because they are not the same as motorcycles. The do not have the mass, suspension, horsepower, or other safety features (like lights or speedometers) to safely occupy an entire lane on highways or roads.
Additionally, selective enforcement will discriminate against people with physical limitations and disabilities as they will no longer be able to ride along those bike paths.
Finally, this will hurt small local businesses as many people from out-of-town commute by E-Bike along these paths and visit Huntington Beach because of these paths. They will take their business elsewhere. Some of these businesses are barely holding on through the pandemic. Others have purchased E-Bikes for rental programs. Those investments will now be worthless.
E-Lux Electric Bikes Strongly Opposes the decision by the City of Huntington Beach to Ban E-Bikes on bike paths on beaches and across the city for the following reasons:
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Safety – Ban forces E-Bikes out into traffic in already highly congested areas risking serious injuries and fatalities.
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Access Discrimination – people with physical limitations should not be denied access to a bike paths.
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Small/Local Business Support – people visiting or traveling through HB will take their business elsewhere.
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Local Laws – already in place to prevent speeding on the boardwalk and can be enforced.
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Federal and State Laws – are encouraging E-Bike use on bike paths.
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Reduction of Congestion – E-Bikes commuting on bike paths reduce congestion, noise, smog, and pollution on PCH and throughout the city.
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Reduced Carbon Footprint – lower emissions are obtained by promoting the use of green vehicles.
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Modernization – many trend forward cities have or are developing infrastructure to encourage the use of E-Bikes across the country. Huntington Beach should be helping lead the way not inhibiting growth.
E-Lux Electric Bikes strongly encourages the Mayor and City Council of Huntington Beach to reconsider its decision to ban E-Bikes on bike paths and instead look to more modern solutions to resolve the safety issues at the pier. One suggestion would be to create a wider path in that area similar to the one in Santa Monica that has separate lanes for cyclists and pedestrians. This could be paid for by parking fees paid to the city in the same area.
Let’s look forward instead of backwards for solutions.
Sincerely,
JP Blake, CEO
E-Lux Electric Bikes
18475 Bandilier Circle, Unit A
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
(949) 440-1967