E-Bike Laws in Pacific Grove, California
Pacific Grove sets the lowest trail speed limit in California: 12 mph on its segment of the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail, for all bicycles and e-bikes, with Class 1 and Class 2 allowed and Class 3 and motorized scooters prohibited. Those trail rules took effect March 20, 2020. Class 3 e-bikes are prohibited in all parks (PGMC § 14.08.015), Class 1 and Class 2 are prohibited from certain defined areas, and riders must dismount and walk through Perkins Park (§ 14.08.020). PGMC § 16.32.080 imposes a citywide sidewalk ban: "no person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk."
The § 14.08.015 and § 14.08.020 citations come from Bicycling Monterey, a well- maintained but secondary compilation. The Pacific Grove code on Code Publishing could not be fetched. Verify both sections directly. The City Council has been exploring further options to regulate problematic e-bike use through 2025–2026, but no new ordinance is confirmed as adopted.
The rules, line by line
| Subject | Rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Class 3 in parks | Class 3 e-bikes prohibited in all parks. | PGMC § 14.08.015Citation unconfirmed |
| Class 1 and 2 in defined areas | Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes prohibited from certain defined areas. Bicycle riding prohibited in Perkins Park — riders must dismount and walk through it. | PGMC § 14.08.020Citation unconfirmed |
| Sidewalks | "No person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk" — citywide ban. | PGMC § 16.32.080Citation unconfirmed |
| Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail | 12 mph speed limit for all bicycles and e-bikes — lower than any other agency in this survey. Class 1 and Class 2 allowed; Class 3 prohibited; motorized scooters prohibited. Effective March 20, 2020. | no citation locatedCitation unconfirmed |
12 mph is the strictest trail limit in the state
For context on how low that is:
| Facility | Limit |
|---|---|
| Pacific Grove — Monterey Bay Coastal Rec Trail | 12 mph |
| Newport Beach oceanfront boardwalk | 8 mph |
| Hermosa Beach Strand (motor must be off) | 8 mph |
| Huntington Beach parks and beach paths | 10 mph, 5 mph with pedestrians present |
| Santa Monica municipal piers | 10 mph |
| EBRPD, Marin County, Santa Clara County, Sacramento County, Walnut Creek, Danville | 15 mph |
| GGNRA | 15 mph, 5 mph in congested areas |
| Manhattan Beach — Marvin Braude trail | 15 mph |
| Long Beach Beach Path | 20 mph |
| Orange County Parks paved bikeways | — |
The 8 mph figures at Newport Beach and Hermosa Beach are lower, but those are pedestrian boardwalks where bicycles are tolerated. Pacific Grove's 12 mph applies to a recreation trail built for cycling — which makes it the strictest genuine cycling-facility limit in California.
The Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail is a rail-trail running along a dense stretch of coastline with heavy tourist foot traffic, wildlife viewing and a narrow corridor. 12 mph is a considered number rather than an arbitrary one, and it is a meaningful constraint on a Class 1 e-bike that will comfortably do 20.
Note that the limit applies only to the Pacific Grove segment. The City of Monterey's segment has no city-specific e-bike class rule located, and Bicycling Monterey's compilation lists Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Seaside, Sand City, Marina, Del Rey Oaks, Salinas, Greenfield, Gonzales, Soledad and King City as having no ordinance prohibiting e-bikes where conventional bicycles are allowed. So a rider on a continuous trail crosses from a 12 mph Class 3 prohibition into no local rule at all.
The citywide sidewalk ban
PGMC § 16.32.080 — "no person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk" — is a flat citywide ban with
no business-district limitation and no stated age exception. It puts Pacific Grove alongside
Capitola, Coronado, Santa Monica, Laguna Beach and Santa Barbara in the most restrictive group.
Like most such provisions it speaks of "a bicycle" rather than naming electric bicycles, which raises the coverage question found in Berkeley, Palm Springs, Watsonville and elsewhere.
Perkins Park
The dismount-and-walk requirement for Perkins Park is the middle option between permitting riding and
excluding the device — the same approach Danville took for its town parks, Huntington Beach for the
municipal pier (HBMC § 10.84.200), Coronado citywide with "walk your wheels," and Newport Beach at
the pier plaza Walk Zone (NBMC § 12.54.060).
Perkins Park is the coastal strip along Ocean View Boulevard, heavily used for walking and wildlife viewing. Requiring a dismount rather than banning bicycles keeps it passable.
Monterey County's park trails
Adjoining and stricter on dirt: Monterey County Code § 14.12.060.I provides that
"electric bicycles are prohibited from all County park dirt trails, unless authorized by the
Director."
An updated ordinance to allow Classes 1, 2 and 3 on dirt trails was reported as under consideration, but no record of adoption was found — so the prohibition should be treated as current and the amendment as pending. That citation also comes from Bicycling Monterey and is unverified.
Fort Ord National Monument operates under BLM "Interim E-Bike Rules"; no specific citation was obtained.
Common questions
What is the speed limit on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail?
12 mph on the Pacific Grove segment, for all bicycles and e-bikes — the lowest limit on any genuine cycling facility in California. Class 1 and Class 2 are allowed; Class 3 e-bikes and motorized scooters are prohibited. These rules took effect March 20, 2020 and apply to the Pacific Grove segment specifically.
Are Class 3 e-bikes allowed in Pacific Grove parks?
No. PGMC § 14.08.015 prohibits Class 3 e-bikes in all parks, and Class 3 is also prohibited on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. Class 1 and Class 2 are prohibited from certain defined areas under § 14.08.020. Both citations come from a secondary compilation and need direct verification.
Can you ride a bike through Perkins Park in Pacific Grove?
No — you must dismount and walk. PGMC § 14.08.020 prohibits bicycle riding in Perkins Park, the coastal strip along Ocean View Boulevard, requiring riders to walk through.
Can you ride an e-bike on the sidewalk in Pacific Grove?
No. PGMC § 16.32.080 provides that no person shall ride a bicycle upon any sidewalk — a flat citywide ban with no business-district limitation. Like most such provisions it says "bicycle" rather than naming electric bicycles, which leaves its application to e-bikes textually arguable.