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MONDAY, JULY 13-JULY 19, 2026
VOL. 12,
NO. 284
E-bike injuries quadruple in Riverside County Real estate tax-cut proposal pulled from ballot in last-minute deal
By Joe Taglieri
By Ben Christopher, CalMatters
joet@civicnewsgroup.com
W
ith school out and summer in full swing, people of all ages are enjoying the outdoors on e-bikes, but a significant increase in injured youths has prompted the Riverside University Health System to urge riders to follow safety guidelines. Some of the hundreds of injuries related to riding electric bicycles are “serious and even fatal,” according to an RUHS statement. Data from across the county shows a spike in emergency room visits for collisions or falls involving e-bikes, from 224 in 2023 and 494 in 2024 to 958 in 2025. So far this year, at least 416 incidents have been reported in the county. An electric bike was involved in at least one fatality in 2024 and two deaths last year, according to Riverside County Coroner’s Bureau. “E-bikes move faster and are much more powerful than traditional bicycles, so the injuries can be much more serious,” Dr. Michael Mesisca, RUHS department chair of emergency medicine, said in a statement. “Blunt head trauma, rib fractures, collapsed lungs and lacerations are more in line with what we’re seeing in the Emergency Department, particularly among teens and young adults. Those injuries can have dire, sometimes permanent impacts.” Riders 10 to 24 years old are most likely to be involved in accidents, according to RUHS. Emergency department visits among 10- to 14-yearolds in the county have more than doubled, from 155 in 2024 to 339 in 2025, officials reported. The number of emergency visits by 15- to 24-year-olds during the same period have also more than doubled, increasing
This story was originally published by CalMatters.
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| Photo courtesy of Riverside County
from 122 ER visits to 248. Officials said e-bike incidents likely are being undercounted as hospital workers try to accurately record injuries amid the rapid emergence of various types and speeds of motorized bicycles. “Unfortunately, too many youngsters riding around our communities on e-bikes are making dangerous choices by driving too fast, not wearing a properly fitted helmet or not following the rules of the road,” county Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Karen Spiegel said in a statement. “It’s time for all of us to slow down and commit to safety guidelines that will save lives.” Officials suggested e-bike users follow these safety tips: • “Wear bright-colored or reflective clothing, along with elbow and knee pads. • “Follow traffic signals, stop signs and right-of-way rules. • “Maintain a measured rate of speed. • “Take part in training
courses,” including online instruction. • “Wear a certified, properly fastened helmet.” • The parents of young riders should familiarize themselves with electric bicycles and consider the protective equipment and training a child or teen needs to ride safely, Mesisca said. Ruhealth.org has information about local training sessions and techniques for talking to kids about e-bike practices. The RUHS “guide helps parents start important conversations about safe riding, smart choices, and how to keep everyone protected,” according to the county’s primer for talking to kids about e-bike riding. The guide emphasizes the importance of wearing helmets, bike maintenance, how to handle unsafe situations and the importance of setting rules and talking See E-bike injuries Page 31
about the responsibility to not ride recklessly. Riders who take the suggested e-bike safety “promise to make safe choices on my e-bike/scooter so I can protect myself, my friends, and my community.” On Aug. 15, 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1946 into law, requiring the California Highway Patrol to develop statewide safety and training programs based on evidencebased practices for users of electric bicycles. Most e-bikes reach speeds of 20-28 mph. A “class 3 electric bicycle,” or “speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle,” is a bike with a speedometer and motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, according to an online training program the county suggests. Motor assistance stops when the bike reaches 28 mph. Unlike classes 1 and 2,
controversial taxchopping ballot measure was pulled from California’s November ballot in a last-minute compromise that left many legislative Democrats feeling put out. The sudden change of electoral fortunes came after a week of frantic backroom haggling by the Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, state legislative leaders, housing advocates, unions and business interests to convince the proposition’s sponsor to withdraw it before Thursday’s deadline. The now-abandoned proposition to cap real estate taxes and make it harder for local governments to raise other revenues was sponsored by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a longstanding anti-tax advocacy group. In exchange for pulling the measure, the governor’s office and legislative leaders agreed to put a different constitutional amendment on the ballot that would raise the share of votes needed to pass certain local taxes. Democrats also agreed to remove another constitutional amendment from the ballot that would have made certain tax-limiting measures much harder to pass. Jon Coupal, president of the taxpayers association, said he was as surprised as anyone by the 11th-hour outcome after putting out a statement hours earlier declaring the negotiations dead and vowing to take the original measure to the ballot even as members of his own coalition were turning against him. But after days at an See Tax-cut Page 05
impasse, Newsom’s office “put something on the table that is pretty pleasing to us,” he said. “Which surprises me.” A spokesperson from the governor’s office said the deal will free cities and other jurisdictions focus on priorities instead of cuts. “With the (Jarvis measure) off the ballot, cities and counties can keep delivering the services Californians count on — from keeping teachers in classrooms and ensuring strong fire and emergency response, to providing health care for children and families,” spokesperson Tara Gallegos said. California election law gave ballot measure sponsors until 5 p.m. on Thursday to voluntarily withdraw their measures. The outline of the new deal only emerged in the early afternoon. That gave the Legislature scant time to consider the grand bargain, discuss it in conference and then ram the changes through. “Politics is about choices, and we often must navigate challenging decisions,” said Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, an Oakland Democrat who introduced one of the compromise bills. “Big picture: the vote today protects vital resources for our local communities and it removes the greatest threat to our cities and their fiscal health.” The deal gave Republicans a rare opportunity to celebrate in California’s Capitol. “This is a huge win for every Californian,” Bakersfield Sen. Shannon Grove said in a statement. Why Democrats made a deal The proposition was the