Ubiquitous e-bikes, be they owner/progeny-operated or rentals, have caused numerous complaints about these motorized two wheelers flying down streets and sometimes, illegally, on sidewalks.

Often times it’s our older population frightened by a rider and vehicle, which in an aging Santa Cruz County, is a considerable number of people.

Only problem is that many e-bike riders are ... older folks.

Most of the problem, however, seems to lie with young people riding e-bikes, as many parents, often both working, have purchased at no small cost e-bikes for their kids to ride to school and presumably make it there on time, cutting down the number of school drop offs and pickups.

But the sight of young kids riding at speeds even beyond 20 mph, sometimes carrying passengers on the back, has unnerved some local citizens.

The county Board of Supervisors adopted new rules last August that prohibit e-bike rides on sidewalks in unincorporated regions, except in areas designated as bikeways. However, the county stopped short of any regulations.

But the continuing perceived dangers to both riders and pedestrians sparked a letter from the Capitola City Council to representative state legislators asking for help in crafting regulations for e-bikes.

While praising the benefits of e-bikes (cutting down car traffic around schools in morning and afternoon hours), the council is asking the state to write new regulations making 14 years old the minimum age for e-bike riders propelled with a throttle (Class 2 bikes). The council also expressed hopes the state will establish a Class 2 e-bike written test or permit for users younger than 16 and will also implement traffic safety education as core curriculum across California schools.

(There are three classifications of e-bikes: Class 1 pertains to e-bikes that provide a pedal assist up to 20 mph, Class 2 bikes give a pedal boost or throttle up to 20 mph, and Class 3 provide a pedal assist up to 28 mph. Existing regulations require riders 18 and younger to wear safety helmets while Class 3 e-bikes can only be ridden by those 16 years and older, and can’t carry any passengers.)

Capitola City Manager Jamie Goldstein said at a council meeting last week that Class 2 e-bikes create the most problems with local young people, as riders who engage the throttle tend to be less attentive to traffic conditions. Goldstein also said “unlocked” or “semi-legal” e-bikes can be purchased on the market and are seen around town circumventing the 28 mph limitation.

Amid complaints about young riders failing to observe basic traffic safety laws, Capitola police earlier this year launched a two-week operation to study young riders of e-bikes. During that time, officers, mostly positioned outside Capitola schools, issued 13 warnings and 13 citations for no helmet, stop sign violations, cellphone use and failure to obey traffic signs and signals.

Not everyone agrees with the need for new laws and permits that would ostensibly lead to more enforcement. Matt Miller of Ecology Action, the Santa Cruz non-profit that promotes the use of transportation options, wrote to the council that while the group supports safety standards for riders, establishing tests or permit requirements raises “equity” questions and could stifle a popular transportation option.

Nearly two years ago, we wrote that while we were not in favor of adding needless regulations or burdening the majority of e-bike riders with new barriers, it was just a matter of time until a rider “traveling at excessive speed tangles with a car or truck.”

Instead of state laws that may or may not be observed, we advocated then, and now, for a system where young riders can learn basic safety and road-sharing rules. Local bike shops, for instance, could appoint a staffer to conduct safety classes, and kids could get a safety sticker to place on their bikes showing they have completed e-bike safety education. And, of course, we need much better bike lanes that are clearly marked and enforced.

E-bikes have many benefits, not the least replacing car trips and allowing older residents to keep riding. They’re here to stay, and we hope the same for riders.