Title
Consider Directing Staff to Analyze and Make Recommendations regarding Establishing a 15 Miles Per Hour Speed Limit for Bicyclists and E-Bikes on City Owned Paths and Parks. (Councilmember Daysog)
Body
COUNCIL REFERRAL FORM
1) Take no action.
2) Refer the matter to staff to schedule as a future City Council agenda item. Concurrence that staff time will be devoted to the item does not signify approval.
3) Take dispositive action only on time sensitive legislative matters if sufficiently noticed such that the public and Council have been provided sufficient information by the published agenda, and no formal published notice of a public hearing is required.
Name of Councilmember requesting referral: Councilmember Daysog
Date of submission to City Clerk (must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on the Monday two weeks before the Council meeting requested): December 1, 2025
Council Meeting date: December 16, 2025
Brief description of the subject to be printed on the agenda, sufficient to inform the City Council and public of the nature of the referral:
Have City Staff Analyze and Make Recommendations with Respect to (A):
1. Setting Speed Limits of 15 Miles Per Hour, or Some Other Approximately Equivalent or Lesser Rate of Speed Based per Staff Analyses, for Persons Operating Solely Manually-Powered Bicycles and for Persons Operating Electronically-Powered “Bicycles” Often Referred to As “E-Bikes” and/or Electronically-Powered Powered Scooters, In and On:
a. Designated Bicycle Paths Owned and Maintained By the City of Alameda;
b. Multi-Use Paths Not City Street On Which Cycling is Allowed That Are Owned and Maintained by the City of Alameda;
c. Parks Owned and Maintained By the City of Alameda; and,
2. For purposes of Monitoring Speed In Real Time, Analyze and Make Recommendations With Respect To Creating “Timed Speed Zones” Of a Certain Length Travelling Through Which Bicyclists, E-Bikers, Scooters Can Not Exceed 15 MPH (or Some Other Recommended Speed) Relative To a Designated Time (Example: An E-Biker or Bicyclist Travelling a Maximum of 15 MPH Over A Four Second Period Travels 88 Feet, Which Could Be The Length of a “Time Speed Zone. Thus, In This Hypothetical, Anyone Travelling Through a 88 Feet Speed Zone in 3 Second Would Be Exceeding the 15 MPH Limit)
(Short Title: “Setting A 15 MPH Speed Limit For Bicyclists and E-Bikes on City-Owned Paths and Parks”)
The City Council approved a Strategic Plan on November 21, 2023, which established the following 5 priorities:
A. Enhance Community Safety & Services
B. Build Resilience to Climate Change & Water Level Rise
C. Invest in Transportation, Infrastructure, Economic Opportunities & Historic Resources
D. House All Alamedans & End Homelessness
E. Practice Fiscal Responsible, Equitable & Inclusive Govern1ance
If applicable, briefly describe which Council priority the subject falls under and how it relates:
This items relates to A and C.
Exhibit 1: Articles discussing safety issues related to “E-Bikes”