It will be a big day at the Santa Barbara City Council meeting on Tuesday.
In one of the heftier items, the City Council is set to vote on rules for bicycles with a municipal code update.
Ever since the city closed downtown State Street to vehicles in 2020, 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 proposed rule changes would apply to bicycles, electric and motorized bicycles, and electric scooters.
Among the proposals are to require riders to use bike lanes where possible, and to 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 proposed ordinance would require yielding to pedestrians when emerging from an alley, driveway and bicycle path.
It also would prohibit the riding of a bicycle or electric bicycle on any sidewalk “except while an active threat to personal or public safety is present.”
Riders under 18 would need to wear a properly strapped helmet, and all bicycles would be required to have reflectors affixed to both the front and back wheels.
The ordinance also would prohibit the operation of a bicycle or electric bicycle on a roadway unless it is equipped with a brake that will enable the operator to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
Any violation of the ordinance would be punishable as an administrative citation with the fine not exceeding $100 for the first violation, $200 for a second violation and $500 for each additional violation within a one-year period.
State law requires bicyclists to obey all traffic laws; bicyclists under 18 are required to wear helmets on public roads, and bicyclists are required to have working brakes.
Salary Study
The council also is expected to receive a report Tuesday on the city’s salaries for workers compared with other cities in the state.
The Classification and Compensation Study is “aimed to ensure city salaries remain competitive within the broader labor market, align classifications with job responsibilities and industry standards, and address internal salary compression between employees and supervisors/managers.”
The last citywide study was conducted in 1991, reinforcing the need for an updated review, according to city staff. The city paid $450,000 from American Rescue Plan Act funds for the study.
The City Council is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 735 Anacapa St.
