E-Bike Rules: East Bay Regional Park District
East Bay Regional Park District Ordinance 38, § 409.8 is the single most consequential regional e-bike rule in California. Its mechanism is elegant: the section folds "class 1 electric bicycle" into the definition of "bicycle" — which is how Class 1 gets access everywhere conventional bikes are allowed, roughly 850 miles of trail, and why Class 2 and Class 3 are excluded by default. Class 2 is then permitted back onto twenty named paved regional trails listed in Attachment A. Class 3 and e-scooters are prohibited districtwide. The limit is 15 mph on any trail with a posted limit, 5 mph when passing, and helmets are required under 18.
The rules, line by line
| Subject | Rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Governing instrument | Ordinance 38, "Rules and Regulations," § 409.8 ("Bicycles and Personal Conveyances"). Amended by the e-bike policy amendment adopted September 5, 2023 (CEQA Notice of Exemption posted September 15, 2023, CEQAnet 2023090343). | EBRPD Ord. 38, § 409.8 |
| The definition mechanism | § 409.8 folds "class 1 electric bicycle" (Veh. Code § 312.5) into the definition of "bicycle." That is how Class 1 gains access everywhere conventional bikes are allowed — and why Class 2 and Class 3 are excluded by default. | EBRPD Ord. 38, § 409.8 |
| Where bicycles and Class 1 may go | "Paved roads, paved bike trails and multi-use trails"; and "unpaved roads, multi-use trails and fire roads over 8 ft. in width, unless otherwise posted." | EBRPD Ord. 38, § 409.8 |
| Prohibited for all bicycles | Narrow hiking or riding trails (single track) "except those areas specifically designated from time to time by the Board." Cross-country riding prohibited. | EBRPD Ord. 38, § 409.8 |
| Class 2 | Permitted only on the paved regional trails listed in Attachment A — currently twenty trails. | EBRPD Ord. 38, § 409.8, Attachment A |
| Class 3 and e-scooters | Prohibited districtwide. | EBRPD Ord. 38, § 409.8 |
| Speed | 15 mph maximum on any trail with a posted speed limit; 5 mph when passing; Lake Temescal 5 mph. | EBRPD Ord. 38 |
| Helmets | Required for riders under 18. | EBRPD Ord. 38 |
| Penalty | Violations of § 409.8(a)–(b) are marked (I) = infraction, enforced by citation and by the administrative remedies in Chapter X of Ordinance 38. | EBRPD Ord. 38, Ch. X |
The twenty Class 2 trails
Attachment A is the operative list. If a paved regional trail is not on it, Class 2 is not permitted:
- Alameda Creek Regional Trail (south side)
- Big Break Regional Trail
- Briones to Las Trampas Regional Trail (paved sections)
- Briones to Mt. Diablo Regional Trail (paved sections)
- Contra Costa Canal Regional Trail
- Coyote Hills to Ardenwood Regional Trail (paved and sidewalk)
- Coyote Hills Bay View Trail to SF Bay Wildlife Refuge
- Crown Shoreline Regional Trail
- Delta DeAnza Regional Trail
- George Miller Trail
- Iron Horse Regional Trail
- Lafayette–Moraga Regional Trail
- Marsh Creek Regional Trail (paved section)
- M.L. King (San Leandro Bay) Shoreline Regional Trail
- Point Isabel to Miller Knox Regional Trail
- San Francisco Bay Regional Trail
- San Pablo Bay Regional Trail
- Shadow to Del Valle Regional Trail
- Skyline National Recreation Trail (Nimitz and paved sections)
- Wildcat Creek Regional Trail
The Iron Horse and Lafayette–Moraga trails matter most in practice — they are the commuter spines running through Danville, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Lafayette and Moraga, and none of those cities has jurisdiction over them.
Why the definition trick matters
Most agencies write "Class 1 is permitted, Class 2 is permitted on these trails, Class 3 is prohibited." EBRPD instead redefined "bicycle" to include Class 1, then listed Class 2 exceptions.
The practical difference is that every existing rule about bicycles — where they may go, the speed limit, the helmet requirement, the single-track prohibition — applies to Class 1 automatically, without the district having to amend each one. Class 2 and Class 3 sit outside "bicycle" and therefore outside every bicycle permission, which is why they need affirmative listing to get anywhere.
It also means the Class 1 answer is simply "wherever bikes go": paved roads, paved bike trails and multi-use trails, plus unpaved roads, multi-use trails and fire roads over eight feet wide unless posted otherwise. Narrow single track is closed to all bicycles, Class 1 included, except where the Board specifically designates.
The 2023 amendment opened 850 miles
Before September 5, 2023, e-bikes were outside EBRPD's definition of "bicycle" and therefore excluded from the district's trail system. The amendment opened roughly 850 miles of East Bay trail to Class 1.
That makes EBRPD one of the clearest loosenings in California e-bike regulation, cutting against the prevailing tightening narrative. The others: Santa Monica affirmatively permitting Class 1 and 2 onto the Marvin Braude beach path in 2022; Newport Beach expanding its Sidewalk Cycling Allowed Map in 2025; Marin County admitting Class 1 and 2 to county paved pathways in 2019; Long Beach proposing to delete an outdated park riding ban; Imperial Beach striking its bicycle licensing requirement.
No 2025 or 2026 amendment to the e-bike provisions was found.
15 mph became the regional standard
EBRPD's 15 mph limit is now the de facto Northern California standard, and other agencies have
adopted it deliberately. Danville set its town-trail limit at 15 mph expressly "to match the
EBRPD ordinance." The same number appears at Marin County paved pathways, Santa Clara County Parks,
Sacramento County (SCC § 9.36.066), Walnut Creek open space, and the GGNRA.
The 5 mph when passing rule is the more useful provision and the less known one. Most path conflicts are overtaking events, and a rule that bites specifically at the moment of passing addresses the mechanism rather than the average.
The pending AB 2346 would give local authorities express statutory authority to set path and trail limits at 10, 15 or 20 mph with signage, and would grandfather limits set before January 1, 2027 — which would firm up the legal footing under all of these.
Which cities this overrides
EBRPD land sits inside or adjacent to dozens of East Bay cities, and the district's rules govern there regardless of what the city says. The most consequential overlaps:
| City | City rule | On EBRPD land |
|---|---|---|
| Danville | Park dismount; 15 mph town trails | Iron Horse Trail: Class 1 and 2 at 15 mph, Class 3 banned |
| Berkeley | Sidewalk ban of uncertain scope | Tilden, Wildcat Canyon: Class 1 yes, Class 2 on Wildcat Creek only, Class 3 banned |
| Oakland | No e-bike ordinance located | Lake Temescal 5 mph; Class 3 banned |
| Lafayette, Moraga, Orinda | No ordinances found | Lafayette–Moraga Trail: Class 1 and 2 permitted |
| Livermore | Ch. 10.44 does not name e-bikes |
Shadow to Del Valle: Class 1 and 2 permitted |
| Fremont | — | Alameda Creek (south side): Class 1 and 2 permitted |
A rider who checks only the city ordinance will get the trail answer wrong.
Common questions
Are e-bikes allowed on East Bay Regional Park District trails?
Class 1, yes — broadly. Ordinance 38, § 409.8 folds Class 1 into the definition of "bicycle," so it may go wherever conventional bikes go: paved roads and trails, and unpaved roads, multi-use trails and fire roads over 8 feet wide unless posted otherwise. Class 2 only on twenty listed paved trails. Class 3 is banned districtwide, as are e-scooters. Narrow single track is closed to all bicycles.
Can you ride a Class 2 e-bike on the Iron Horse Trail?
Yes. The Iron Horse Regional Trail is one of the twenty paved trails on EBRPD's Attachment A list where Class 2 is permitted. The limit is 15 mph, dropping to 5 mph when passing. Class 3 remains banned there, as districtwide.
What is the speed limit on East Bay regional trails?
15 mph maximum on any trail with a posted speed limit, 5 mph when passing, and 5 mph at Lake Temescal. The 5 mph passing rule is the one most riders do not know and the one that addresses the actual mechanism of most path conflicts.
Are Class 3 e-bikes banned in East Bay Regional Parks?
Yes, districtwide, with no listed exceptions — along with e-scooters. That is the standard position across nearly every California park agency. Note that state law has not banned Class 3 from bike paths since AB 1909 took effect in 2023; these are local agency restrictions under Veh. Code § 21207.5(b).
Do you need a helmet on East Bay Regional Park District trails?
Under 18, yes, under Ordinance 38. Adults need one on a Class 3 under state law (Veh. Code § 21213(b)) — but Class 3 is banned on district trails anyway, so in practice the helmet question on EBRPD land is the under-18 rule.