California State Assembly District 80 recently issued the following announcement.
California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez today announced new legislation to boost San Ysidro’s pedicab industry. Assembly Bill 1939 clarifies in state law that operators are permitted to drive electric-assisted bicycles, which will allow operators to travel farther distances and to easily go up steep hills.
“Providing this clarity for San Ysidro’s pedicab industry will be a game changer in our district,” said Assemblywoman Gonzalez, who represents San Ysidro in the State Legislature. “Traveling on the pedestrian bridge at Camino De La Plaza is difficult on a pedicab bike without an electric-assist. This change in state law will allow for an easier, more efficient and low-carbon way to give pedestrians rides in San Ysidro.”
Pedicabs are a popular method to get around San Diego. In recent years, the City of San Diego has passed regulations on the pedicab industry in order to improve safety, including a ban on electric pedicabs based on interpretations of current state law. Pedicab industry leaders have said the result has been a roughly 30 percent reduction in the number of operators.
In the community of San Ysidro, much of the pedicab industry used to take pedestrians across the border bridge at Camino De La Plaza, but according to pedicab operators there is no way for them to cross the bridge without electric-assistance. AB 1939 will help restore the industry by amending the definition of pedicab in code to include electric-assist bicycles.
Original source can be found here.
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