The Brief

Orange County's seen a rise in e-bike accidents over the last several years, which has led the county Board of Supervisors to institute new rules on their use.

The new regulations, which were passed unanimously on Tuesday, will apply to unincorporated Orange County as well as bike paths and roadways managed by the county — though many cities and jurisdictions have already passed their own directives on e-bike use.

What are the new rules?

The new rules set definitions for different classes of e-bikes based on their maximum speeds and motors.

The most regulated class are class 3 e-bikes, which assist the rider with pedaling at speeds of up to 28 mph. All people 16 and over riding a class 3 e-bike will be required to wear a helmet on roads, bikeways and trails. Their use is banned for anyone under 16.

Those under 16 can still ride class 1 e-bikes, which provide pedal assist up to 20 mph, and class 2 e-bikes, which are self-propelling bikes that can reach up to 20 mph without pedaling.

In addition, all people under 18 will be required to wear helmets on county bike paths, roads and trails, and all e-bike riders will need to yield to pedestrians and equestrians on sidewalks.

The rules apply to e-bikes and not mopeds, which can reach speeds of up 30 mph and require licenses to operate under the California vehicle code.

The rules also set speed limits for e-bikes operating on county highways — the maximum speed allowed is 28 mph, unless the speed limit on the road is lower. Bikers also cannot ride more than two abreast on roads, bike lanes and sidewalks.

Finally, the new rules also ban multiple people from riding on the same bike, except in the case of tandem bicycles or small children with their own seat.

Why now?

Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who spearheaded the new regulations, said that while she's happy to see the rise in e-bike use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase mobility, they can pose a real danger to public safety.

"We're seeing such an increase in injuries, especially as it relates to child riders," Foley said. "So we just needed to try to strike that balance and set up an ordinance and modernize our ordinances so that we have the tools for enforcement when necessary."

Foley said these measures aren't just for bikers' safety, but also for the safety of others.

"We also have had complaints about are 10 or 12 deep groups of kids riding their e-bikes down through the park over the grass and off the trails and running into people's dogs or almost running into senior citizens and knocking them over — these are actually real complaints I've received," Foley said. "This new ordinance will allow our park rangers to have a tool to be able to use enforcement to prevent that kind of activity."

Where do the rules apply?

The rules apply to unincorporated Orange County, which includes areas like Ladera Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo, as well as bike paths and roads managed by OC Parks or another county agency.

Many cities in Orange County already have their own ordinances regulating e-bike use. For a partial list of local ordinances, see here.

For a map of Orange County bikeways, see here.

Warmer temperatures are on tap through Wednesday, but don't worry, cooling will return for Thanksgiving.

Low clouds and some fog will cover the beaches Tuesday morning, but that will clear by the afternoon. Along the Orange County coast, expect highs of between 68 and 74 degrees. For L.A. County, highs will be from 70 to 78 degrees.

More inland, valley communities will see highs of up to 81 degrees in some areas. Temperatures for the Inland Empire will range from 74 to 80 degrees.

In Coachella Valley, expect daytime highs of up to 79 degrees. The Antelope Valley will be cooler, with highs reaching 67 degrees.

Santa Ana winds forecast

Santa Ana winds are returning, which means it will be breezy all day in most areas. Gusts could reach up to 25 mph in the foothills, around 30 mph for the 5 Freeway corridor and Santa Clarita Valley, and up to 35 mph for the San Gabriel Mountains.

If you’ve noticed more wildlife visiting your yard in recent years — maybe digging up your vegetable garden or even drinking from your pool — you’re not alone.

A recent study from UCLA found that larger predators like mountain lions and bears are more likely to interact with humans and travel closer to population centers in drier years. To determine this, the researchers analyzed state data collected on reported property damage, nuisances, conflicts and sightings.

“It kind of runs the full gamut of how people interact with wildlife around their neighborhoods and their homes,” said UCLA postdoctoral researcher Kendall Calhoun, the lead author on the study.

It's not just P-22. Mountain lions across the whole state are forced to leave their habitats for survival.

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Courtesy Kendall Calhoun

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Different motivations for different animals

As you might expect, different animals might have different reasons for entering populated areas. But in large part, Calhoun said, it comes down to animals’ survival instincts.

The primary motivator for many herbivores is likely to be food. That’s because with less precipitation, there’s also less plant material for them to eat. (Don’t forget: even with all the rain we’ve had recently, much of Southern California is still in a drought.)

“ Deer and elk might be pushed to find those food resources in places that they normally wouldn't go, like agriculture, crops, things from people's yards, persimmons from your tree,” Calhoun said.

And as herbivores get pushed toward humans, the animals that prey on them are too. In fact, the species that saw the highest increases in clashes with humans were omnivores and carnivores, specifically mountain lions, coyotes, black bears and bobcats.

But even these animals have varying reasons for getting close to people.

“Mountain lions might be more inclined to look for supplemental food in livestock — that might be a sheep or a goat,” Calhoun said. “Black bears may be more willing to go into your trash to look for food to help supplement what they're missing in their resource-scarce natural areas.”

Meanwhile, animals of all kinds might enter a yard even when they have enough food to look for standing water.

About the data

Researchers analyzed data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife that were reported over the last several years as part of a citizen science initiative.

One important caveat is that the researchers primarily looked at conflicts between wildlife and residents, and there may be differences in how these interactions are reported.

For example, you might not report a deer eating fruit from an overloaded tree as a nuisance, but even a peaceful black bear digging through your trash could raise alarm bells.

 "People also really value having wildlife living alongside them," Calhoun said. "It really is important for us to try to strike that balance where there's pros for both sides, without some of the negative interactions that come with living in close proximity with wildlife species."

Learn more about human-wildlife interactions

There’s more background on the research on UCLA’s website, and you can find the full study here.

You can also learn much more about interactions between humans and wildlife in LAist’s Imperfect Paradise podcast series, “Lions, Coyotes, & Bears.”

Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of L.A. County at the end of this year, and organizers say eligible households can sign up for alerts when the service becomes available.

The service — a partnership between L.A. County and internet provider WeLink — is the latest project from the county’s “Delete the Divide,” an initiative meant to bridge the digital divide in underserved neighborhoods.

Major funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act, as well as a grant from the California Public Utilities Commission.

It’s badly needed

About 23%, or more than 20,000, households in the East L.A. and Boyle Heights area don’t have home internet, according to Delete the Divide.

The service will also soon be coming to South L.A., where more than 40,000 households were identified as lacking home internet.

What you need to know

There will be different plans available — including low-income, market-rate and small business options — at fixed prices. The low-cost plan will start at $25 per month for qualifying families. Those who don’t qualify could also purchase plans starting at $65 a month. Monthly rates are fixed until at least September 2027.

Every plan includes unlimited data, a router and parental controls.

Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in South L.A. at the end of this year.

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Courtesy of L.A. County

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Low-cost internet service will soon roll out in parts of East L.A. and Boyle Heights at the end of this year.

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Courtesy of L.A. County

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How it works 

WeLink will install a Wi-Fi router inside a home and a 4-inch radio on the roof to connect the household to the internet.

Interested households can sign up for updates and be notified by WeLink when service is available here.