Existing law, the Protected Bikeways Act of 2014, provides that the state’s bicycle programs have not been fully developed or funded. Existing law requires the Department of Transportation to develop safety standards in connection with the use of bicycles, including the establishment of minimum safety design criteria for the planning and construction of specified types of bikeways and roadways where bicycle travel is permitted.
This bill would require the department, in coordination with the Office of Traffic Safety, to develop, on or before September 1, 2023, statewide safety standards and training programs based on evidence-based practices for users of electric bicycles, as defined, including, but not limited to, general electric bicycle riding safety, emergency maneuver skills, rules of the road, and laws pertaining to electronic bicycles. The
bill would require the safety standards and training programs to be developed in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and to be posted on the internet websites of both the department and the Office of Traffic Safety.