Let's be Safer Together, Carlsbad!

The City of Carlsbad uses the three Es of traffic safety -- education, engineering and enforcement -- to help ensure everyone uses local streets safely. Thanks to your support, it's working! Please continue to look out for one another, follow our safety tips and share your commitment publicly so others will do the same.

New e-bike laws

New e-bike laws are now in effect in Carlsbad. Here is what to expect: 

  • Anyone operating an e-bike must be at least 12 years old, as allowed by Assembly Bill 2234.
  • When a minor breaks the rules and creates an immediate or substantial public safety risk, their e-bike may be impounded. The minor must complete an in-person safety course to retrieve the e-bike, and a parent or guardian must be present when the e-bike is released. 
  • The Police Department can also impound e-motorcycles, which are not street legal. 
  • E-bikes are prohibited at Poinsettia and Pine Avenue Community Parks. 

Additionally, the city's previously existing laws have been updated to provide additional clarity on safe riding behavior, including:

  • Riders must go at a safe speed for the conditions, factoring in weather, whether pedestrians are present and how quickly other traffic is moving.
  • Riders under 18 years old must wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet.
  • Only e-bikes designed for passengers can carry more than one rider.

  • Parents are responsible for knowingly allowing their children to commit violations. 

E-bike chart with e-motorcycles

More information

E-bike laws overview
View the new ordinance  
Watch a recording of the City Council meeting 

Safety classes

Several organizations off bike and e-bike safety courses online: 

Safety enhancements - Carlsbad Blvd and Tamarack

Post Date:05/01/2025 4:49 PM

On Tuesday, the City Council directed staff to pursue a smaller scale project at Carlsbad Boulevard and Tamarack Avenue that focuses on ADA-related safety enhancements. 

This is a change from the previous City Council direction in July 2023 for a roundabout at the intersection, which included an important caveat to first return with information about how another coastal roundabout planned at Carlsbad Boulevard and Cannon Road was performing. Since there is now updated information regarding SANDAG grant funds associated with this project, the City Council wanted to reconsider the options for this intersection.

The project now will include these intersection improvements:

  • New high visibility crosswalks
  • New ADA-compliant ramps
  • Improved medians with new ADA-complaint pathways and pedestrian signals
  • Removing the bus stop bench in the middle of the median
  • Removing most of the guardrail along the west side of Carlsbad Boulevard south of Tamarack, providing 1.5 feet of more space to walk

While the funds and timeline to complete these improvements haven’t been finalized, they come at a much lower cost and can be completed more quickly.

If you want to be kept up to date, please sign up for email updates.

If you’re interested in other traffic safety topics and projects, you can sign up to get the Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission meeting agendas directly to your email. Those meetings are generally held the first Monday of the month at 4 p.m.

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