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Student bike safety has been a topic of ongoing conversation among local schools in San Mateo County, but the rise in popularity of a new type of bike has reshaped the debate.
Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, are capable of moving as fast as 28 mph. School leaders are worried about the car-like speeds that students now travel. School administrators, local law enforcement and the San Mateo County Office of Education are all working on regulating, educating and guiding the community toward safer e-bike practices.
“The rapid rise in student e-bike use has created new challenges and schools were not fully prepared for this surge. Students need proper training to ride safely, and parents play a key role in making sure their children are ready,” said Safe Routes to School Coordinator Theresa Vallez-Kelly. “We wouldn’t put a young person in a car and simply tell them to drive. They are trained first.
“The same approach needs to apply to kids and e-bikes,” she said.
Recently, a 16-year-old Menlo-Atherton High School student was hospitalized after colliding with a car while riding an e-bike. In June, a Stanford University undergraduate student riding an e-bike, died after being struck by a vehicle.
Apart from e-bikes, general bike safety in cities such as Menlo Park continues to be a concern. In 2022, there were 22 reported bike crashes resulting in injury or death, and nine were among children under the age of 15, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
As e-bike popularity skyrockets, so have injury and accident rates. A 2024 University of California, San Francisco, study found that e-bike “injuries dramatically increased from 751 in 2017 to 23,493 in 2022.” Researchers also noticed that the risky behavior and lack of helmets was common among electric scooter and bike users.
Local jurisdictions are currently considering ways to regulate the use of certain e-bike models that are not legal in California. E-bikes are classified in three categories, differing in maximum speed and pedal or throttle assisted functions.
Class 1 bikes are low-speed pedal-assisted e-bikes that are not capable of traveling over 20 mph. Class 2 are pedal or throttle-assisted bikes that can travel up to 20 mph without pedaling. Class 3 bikes are restricted to ages 16 and older, equipped with a speedometer and can travel up to 28 mph.
In July, the Woodside Town Council held a study session to evaluate community concerns about e-bike ridership by teens and children. Council member Jenn Wall stated during this meeting that she frequently observes kids in town riding throttle-assisted e-bikes with no pedals, which are illegal to ride on California roads.
Capt. Frank Dal Porto with the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said during that meeting that the biggest issues are the lack of education and awareness in parents purchasing the bikes and the delayed update in laws that help regulate e-bikes.
The Atherton Police Department has also conducted checks at school campuses, looking for e-bike models with additional legal requirements and ensuring that students are following traffic laws, according to the M-A Chronicle.
Local school districts are also doing their part in promoting awareness of basic bike and e-bike safety through workshops in collaboration with police and Safe Routes to Schools.
Menlo Park City School District has hundreds of students biking to school on busy roads such as Santa Cruz Avenue and Middlefield Road. Its Safe Routes to School Superintendent Advisory Committee frequently hosts bike rodeos for younger students and offers regular safety training for middle schoolers.
For e-bikes, MPCSD has provided parents with information on online e-bike safety classes through PedalAce, “urging parents to learn more about e-bikes, including the different types and age recommendations for use,” said MPCSD spokesperson Parke Treadway.
“Technology has outpaced the law when it comes to student safety and e-bikes, and we are now in a place where it feels like education is not enough,” said Menlo Park Superintendent Kristen Gracia in a written statement.
According to the district, e-bike will be a topic of discussion at an upcoming school board meeting at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the board office, 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton.
The San Mateo County Office of Education has also created an online e-bike toolkit to provide schools with educational materials, resources and guidance on laws to help educational leaders increase awareness among students and parents.
