Modesto City Council members are considering a crackdown on reckless bicycle and e-bike riding that would hit repeat offenders with fines as high as $5,000 and let police impound bikes for up to 30 days. The proposal targets street takeovers, dangerous stunts on public roads and groups of riders blocking traffic, and it arrives as the city grapples with a steady climb in e-bike-related crashes.
According to CBS Sacramento, the proposed ordinance would set fines of $500 for a first offense, $2,500 for a second offense and up to $5,000 for a third or subsequent violation. The council has already waived the ordinance's first reading, a procedural step toward possible adoption. If the rules are ultimately approved, they would take effect 30 days after a final vote.
Parents Could Face Fines Too
One of the more contentious pieces of the proposal would let police fine parents up to $2,000 per minor if they assist, authorize or permit violations. The ordinance specifies circumstances in which parents could be held responsible, but per the same report, it does not spell out exactly what police would need to prove to hold a parent liable. The proposed ordinance would also allow police to require safety courses for minors caught violating the rules, and some residents pushed back during discussion, questioning whether minors should face immediate penalties — particularly for violations that don't involve a street takeover. One Modesto resident instead proposed a warning paired with a safety course for a minor's first non-takeover offense.
A separate strand of the proposal would set a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit on city parks and trails. A councilwoman raised questions about how officers would actually identify and address riders who exceed that limit, the station's report noted. Mayor Sue Zwahlen said the city wants residents to keep using its outdoor spaces even as it tightens the rules.
Police Say Adults, Not Just Teens, Are Involved
Police officials told the council that street takeovers have involved adults as well as younger riders, and the police chief said adults have participated directly in the gatherings — pushing back on any assumption that reckless riding is strictly a youth problem. Resident Chris Ricci urged city leaders to prioritize traffic safety, telling the council that it needs to be a real priority right now. Another Modesto resident said the city has a major problem with bicyclists and e-bikers.
Crash Numbers Have Been Climbing for Years
The debate follows a documented rise in e-bike-related injuries across the city. Modesto police logged 97 injury collisions involving e-bikes or electric scooters in 2025, including nine severe injuries, according to the Modesto Bee. Through the first half of 2026 alone, officers recorded 34 more injury collisions, including two severe head-trauma cases, the paper reported.
California Highway Patrol data cited by the Modesto Bee showed reported e-bike crashes in the Modesto area jumped from 18 in 2023 to 53 in 2024 — a 194 percent increase. Police in Modesto, Ceres, Turlock and the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office have all flagged common violations: running stop signs, riding against traffic, popping wheelies, skipping helmets and weaving among cars.
Enforcement has already ramped up this year. Modesto police responded to 227 calls for service involving bike groups in 2026, according to a separate Modesto Bee report, resulting in 71 bicycle impoundments and roughly 25 citations. At the time of that reporting, officials said they were researching possible changes to city code, but no ordinance changes had yet been finalized — a gap the current council proposal appears aimed at closing.
A Fatal Crash Underscores the Stakes
The push for tougher rules comes against the backdrop of real tragedy on Modesto streets. An e-bike rider died after colliding with an SUV in Modesto on a recent Saturday night, according to KCRA. Police said the rider had been headed eastbound on Roseburg Avenue within the traffic lane before entering the Tully Road intersection during a red light.
Modesto isn't alone in confronting the problem. In neighboring Ceres, police say their own ordinance already authorizes bicycle seizures for up to 30 days with a monetary fine attached, and KCRA reported those fines can reach $1,000 — a fraction of what Modesto is now weighing for repeat offenders.
State Legislation Looms in the Background
The local debate echoes language found in California legislative proposals. Bill text for AB-2346, reviewed via California Legislative Information, would let local authorities set bicycle-path speed limits of 15 or 20 miles per hour, or 10 miles per hour in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic — though that provision's status as enacted law isn't established by the available text. Separate bill language for AB-2234 states that a parent or legal guardian with custody of an unemancipated minor could be held jointly and severally liable for a fine imposed on that minor, though it likewise isn't confirmed as currently enacted law.
For now, Modesto's ordinance remains a proposal rather than settled policy. It still requires final adoption by the council before any of its fines, impoundment powers or parental penalties could take effect.
