Council Bans E-Bike Riding in All Danville Parks After Marathon Debate

After two years of community complaints and a parade of residents describing crashes, near-misses and illegal e-motorcycles terrorizing park paths, the Danville Town Council went further than its own Parks Commission recommended — unanimously introducing an ordinance that bans riding e-bikes and motorized scooters anywhere inside town parks, effective just before school starts in August.

• E-bikes banned from all Danville parks as council goes beyond Parks Commission's speed-limit-only proposal, requiring riders to dismount and walk; second reading July 7

• $850,000 federal check delivered by Congressman DeSaulnier for smart signal and fiber optic infrastructure — a first for Contra Costa County

• Town Manager Tai Williams receives $52K compensation increase after first-year evaluation, bringing salary to $305,000

• Planning Commission reports wave of housing projects advancing toward Danville's 2,241-unit RHNA obligation, with hundreds of units under construction or recently approved

• Transit advisory rep raises efficiency questions about County Connection bus routes serving fewer than 100 daily riders

Danville Goes All-In on Park E-Bike Ban

After more than two hours of testimony and deliberation — the longest item of the evening by a wide margin — the Town Council unanimously introduced Ordinance No. 2026-02, banning the riding of e-bikes and motorized scooters in all town parks. Riders must dismount and walk. A 15 mph speed limit will apply to all wheeled devices on town trails that are not within parks.

The ordinance goes significantly further than what the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission had recommended after three public meetings: a 15 mph speed limit and restriction of e-bikes to paved trails.

Why it matters: The ordinance takes effect approximately Aug. 6 — just before the school year begins — addressing what residents have described as an escalating crisis of reckless e-bike behavior at parks near schools, particularly Osage Station Park adjacent to Charlotte Wood Middle School.

Where things stand: Town Manager Tai Williams presented extensive background, noting Danville has spent more than two years tackling e-bike safety, including forming the first East Bay E-Bike Working Group, running public education campaigns and pursuing state legislative changes. But Williams emphasized the fundamental constraint: California Vehicle Code preempts most local e-bike regulation, and Danville lacks the special pilot program authority granted to Marin and San Diego counties.

"This is really the first year of many years that we've been talking about this where we feel strongly that the state legislature is hearing us for the first time," said Williams.

Williams framed the core policy choice plainly:

"The policy question in front of the council is a range of options. You could have a behavioral standard such as walking a bike through a park that's easy to observe. It's a clean standard, but it also removes riding outright for everyone, including those who are riding carefully."

Community Speaks — Overwhelmingly for Stronger Action

Public comment was lopsided. At least eight written comments supported banning or restricting e-bikes on park paths, and nearly every in-person speaker pushed the council to go beyond the speed-limit approach.

Al Kalin, a public commenter, presented survey results from 870 respondents — nearly 90% Danville residents — showing more than 85% support prohibiting e-bikes on park paths.

"The proposed ordinance creates a double standard by protecting grass better than people," he said, referring to the original draft's turf-protection provisions.

Planning Commissioner Mark Graham, who trains guide dogs and described being run off the path at Osage Station Park, advocated requiring bikes to be walked through parks and suggested a pilot program at Osage with electronic speed display signs and volunteer enforcement.

Jenny Phillips delivered the evening's most visceral testimony, describing how she was T-boned by an e-motorcycle on the Iron Horse Trail four weeks earlier, suffering a partial finger amputation. Despite police finding the 18-year-old rider at fault, no citation could be issued because the collision occurred on a path rather than a state road.

Bob Mittelstaedt, an e-bike researcher whose data was cited in the Mineta Institute report and the New York Times, told the council that 70% of devices at Danville's four middle schools are actually illegal e-motorcycles — not pedal-assist e-bikes. Mayor Newell Arnerich reinforced the point:

"Approximately 70% of all of the e-bike motors that we see are actually electric motorcycles."

Jeff Eorio, a former 22-year parks director for San Ramon, noted that neighboring San Ramon has already banned all motorized vehicles from all parks — a move requested by ER doctors and the police department.

The other side: Not every speaker favored a blanket ban. Dave Dalton urged the council to distinguish between legitimate pedal-assist e-bikes and illegal electric motorcycles with throttles, concerned that lumping all devices together would punish responsible riders like his wife, who commutes on a Class 1 e-bike. Ned Bagno argued that any e-bike restriction should equally apply to conventional bicycles for logical consistency, contending that recklessness is a supervision problem, not a technology problem. He noted a 65-year-old on a Class 1 at 10 mph would be forced to walk while a cyclist at 20 mph would remain legal.

Council Shifts From Reluctance to Consensus

Council members wrestled openly with the trade-offs before coalescing around a stronger position than anyone had anticipated.

Councilmember Renee Morgan drove the conversation toward the dismount requirement, arguing it is clearer and more enforceable than a speed limit.

"If I told my child, you cannot ride your e-bike in the park, you have to walk it — that registers. That's something that they'll say, okay, I understand that," she said.

Morgan added that the San Ramon Valley Unified School District already requires students to dismount and walk bikes on campus.

Councilmember Karen Stepper, initially reluctant, changed her position after hearing public testimony:

"I really wasn't in favor of getting off these bikes. But now I think that probably is a good answer, Renee, because it is measurable for now until we can get a better handle on what it is."

Vice Mayor Robert Storer expressed the frustration that had been building all evening:

"The only way we can enforce this is to ban it and you take them out of the parks. I never thought I'd sit here and say this, but because we're sort of sick of this problem."

Arnerich proposed the specific framework the council adopted:

"We do eliminate all e-bikes from being ridden in all of our parks and not try to distinguish, send a clear message, and we meet twice a month and we can pass a new ordinance if the world gets better and the state catches up."

Decisions: The motion, made by Storer and seconded by Arnerich, passed 5-0 (For: Arnerich, Belotz, Stepper, Storer, Morgan; Against: none; Absent: none). City Attorney Rob Ewing confirmed the two-reading ordinance process: second reading is scheduled for July 7, with the ordinance taking effect approximately Aug. 6.

What's next: A second public hearing on sidewalk e-bike regulations is planned for after school resumes in the fall. The council acknowledged that comprehensive solutions ultimately require state legislation, and Williams noted multiple bills — including AB 1942, AB 1557, AB 2346 and AB 1569 — are advancing in Sacramento.

Danville Lands $850K Federal Check for Smart Signal Network

Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (D, CA District 10) presented an $850,000 community project funding check for the Townwide Fiber Optic Interconnect Improvements Project, with total federal funding exceeding $1 million.

Why it matters: Danville is the first city in Contra Costa County to deploy smart signal technology — camera-based detection systems that optimize traffic flow, extend pedestrian crossing times for slower walkers and reduce accident rates. The fiber optic backbone also supports the town's public safety camera infrastructure.

Mayor Newell Arnerich noted the funding is particularly significant because Danville rarely qualifies for federal grants due to its property tax structure. Councilmember Karen Stepper thanked the congressman for a recent community presentation on the project.

Town Manager Williams Gets $52K Raise After First-Year Review

The council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 57-2026, amending Town Manager Tai Williams' employment agreement following her first-year evaluation conducted in closed session on June 3.

Mayor Newell Arnerich read the terms publicly per Brown Act requirements: salary increased to $305,000 — a $40,000 salary increase plus $12,000 in additional fringe benefits for a $52,000 total increase. Cruise leave was converted to general leave with no change in total leave days.

The mayor highlighted Danville's distinction as one of the last California cities with a defined contribution rather than a defined benefit pension plan, meaning no unfunded liabilities flow from the agreement.

Decisions: Passed 5-0 (For: Arnerich, Belotz, Stepper, Storer, Morgan; Against: none; Absent: none) with no public comment.

Housing Pipeline Accelerates Under State Mandates

Planning Commission Chair Archie Bowles delivered a comprehensive mid-year report detailing a surge of housing projects advancing toward Danville's Regional Housing Needs Assessment obligation of 2,241 units for the 2023–2031 cycle.

Where things stand: Projects in various stages include the Nova (50 luxury age-restricted condos, move-ins starting), 600 Hartz (35 of 36 units sold on the former FOSS property), the Burrell/Stowaway project (167 units, 3 stories), the Ivy at 828 Diablo Road (105-unit assisted living), Village Apartments at Town and Country (200 units, 4 stories), The Lanes on Boone Court (47 townhomes with 2 ADUs), Darby Plaza (99 age-restricted condos, pending) and the CPC project (68 townhouses on West El Pintado, recently approved but appealed).

Mayor Newell Arnerich noted the Darby Plaza project faces challenges from new fire department loop road requirements and changing equity requirements shifting from 20% to 40–50%. Bowles highlighted how AB 130 and SB 131 have compressed development review timelines to 30–60 days from application submission — fundamentally changing how Danville processes applications.

Transit Rep Flags Sales Tax Reauthorization, Route Efficiency

Michael Carr, Danville's representative to the CCTA and County Connection citizen advisory committees, reported on two converging transit funding dynamics.

For CCTA, energy is building toward reauthorization of the half-cent sales tax (Measure J, expiring March 2034). Carr flagged the separate Connect Bay Area initiative (SB 63), which has collected enough signatures to potentially authorize a half-cent sales tax across four Bay Area counties by a simple majority vote rather than the two-thirds supermajority CCTA's reauthorization will require. Mayor Newell Arnerich clarified the two initiatives are independent.

On County Connection, Carr raised efficiency concerns after calculating that some bus routes appear to serve fewer than 100 daily riders, questioning whether on-demand transit alternatives should be explored. Vice Mayor Robert Storer provided context on Title 6 equity requirements for transit routes and noted County Connection's free summer youth ridership grew from 1,400 to 25,000 riders in one year.

Minor Items

• Consent calendar approved 5-0, covering nine items including June 3 meeting minutes, Register of Demands, April Treasurer's Report, four recreation services contracts for FY 2026/27 (Arora Tennis, Casey Printing, Jeff Seaberg, Skyhawks Sports), the SB 1 road repair project list and a stormwater review contract for The Lanes development at 200 Boone Court.

• EBMUD water service item (6.8) for the Arts District Maker Space continued to July 7 due to inadequate information.

• Juneteenth proclamation presented to Melissa and Darryl Sladden; Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month proclamation presented to Anna Humaydan of the Alzheimer's Association, who advocated for the ASAP Act to allow Medicare coverage of early Alzheimer's screening.

• Brooke K. appointed Youth Poet Laureate for a two-year term beginning July 1, replacing outgoing inaugural laureate Madeleine Roifevelt. Passed 5-0.

• Dog park safety concern: Public commenter Chelsea Benardi raised alarm about weekly alcohol-fueled gatherings at Hap McGee Ranch Dog Park, describing a witnessed incident of a man kicking a dog and slapping a woman who intervened, and requesting increased monitoring.

• Town Manager's monthly report and legislative update both deferred to July 7.

• Council noted the successful inaugural Brighter Day car show drew approximately 188 cars.

• New Brown Act requirements taking effect July 1 will require roll-call votes and two-way Zoom participation at meetings.