ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council voted unanimously at a special meeting on June 28 to declare a local state of emergency regarding bicycle and e-bike safety. The unprecedented action was prompted by the death of 15-year-old Brodee Champlain-Kingman, a San Dieguito High School Academy student who was killed on June 22 when his e-bike collided with a van while making a left turn from South El Camino Real onto Santa Fe Drive.
The declaration came against a backdrop of alarming statistics: bicycle and e-bike collisions in Encinitas nearly tripled from 17 in 2020 to 48 in 2022, reflecting a trend seen across North County as e-bike use among teenagers has surged.
The emergency declaration allows the city to fast-track safety measures, including:
- Electronic Message Boards: The city approved renting 10 electronic message boards for 12 weeks to alert motorists and cyclists in high-visibility areas.
- E-Bike Education: A $75,000 budget allocation for an e-bike safety education program partnering with local schools, including a safety film produced by the Sheriff's Department and Encinitas Fire Department.
- Enforcement: An amended ordinance allowing Sheriff's deputies to send first-time violators to approved bike safety courses rather than issuing penalties.
The safety measures were modeled after a similar emergency declaration by the City of Carlsbad in August 2022, which reportedly reduced cycling-related collisions after implementation. The Encinitas emergency was set to terminate September 30, 2023, unless extended by the council.