BY STEPHANIE LAM
Daily Post Correspondent
Palo Alto police are seeing an uptick in student e-bike riders violating traffic laws, and not stopping when officers approach them, according to police Lt. Kara Apple.
Apple made the observation Thursday during the Palo Alto Unified School District and City Council’s joint committee meeting, where members discussed how to encourage student e-bike safety and awareness.
E-bikes and e-motos, or electronic motorcycles, are becoming popular modes of transportation in Palo Alto and there are a “high proportion” of motorized devices parked at Gunn and Palo Alto high schools, according to Ria Hutabarat Lo, the city’s chief transportation official.
In March, there were six collisions across different PAUSD campuses involving e-bikes and e-motos, with one resulting in major injuries, according to Apple.
To address e-bike safety, Hutabarat Lo said the school district should consider an on-campus ban. She also suggested more enforcement on school campuses and more education about the dangers of e-bikes for parents and students.
Acting Superintendent Herb Espiritu said the district is looking at educating students and families about the laws pertaining to e-bikes.
Aren’t electric motorcycles already illegal for school-age children? Those are the problem, not bicycles. Schools just need to enforce the existing ban.
How about doing something innovative like enforcing the law and start ticketing the kids with extra penalties for those who ignore the police???
Not a day goes by that I don’t see e-bike violations but the ones that are really annoying and dangerous are the kids speeding along on the e-bikes at night without any lights and wearing dark clothes.
Enough with the listening sessions and trying to figure out how to educate those who don’t care to be educated; just start ticketing the kids with escalating fines for each offense.
I think the most serious problems are with e-motos – which don’t have pedals, and/or go way faster than 20mph. These are illegal to ride on regular streets anyways and existing laws should be enforced. It seems many/most people are not clear on the distinction between the 3 classes of e-bikes vs e-motos. Class 1 & 2 are speed restricted to 20mph with the difference that class 2 allows the use of a throttle. Class 3 allows speed to 28mph, but only by pedal, needs to be 16yo. All e-bikes need pedals, and kids are required to wear a helmet.
So if it doesn’t have a pedal, or it’s going faster than 20mph than 20mph and isn’t being pedaled, it’s illegal.
That’s not to say regular e-bikes aren’t being ridden irresponsibly also, but the same goes for regular bikes. High schoolers and even larger middle schoolers can ride regular bikes to 15-20mph without too much difficulty also.
Back in 1975 I had a Honda Trail 50. It was street legal but I was 13. My Dad said walk it to the river bottom but sometimes I rode it. Anyway, a sheriff caught me, called my Dad and I lost my trail 50. How hard is this lesson parents?
Yup, those were the days. Parents actually holding their little muffins responsible for their actions, with consequences.
Please stop calling out e-bikes when it’s an E-Moto; people are getting confused causing drivers and police to ignore basic safety standards to protect bicyclists. For example, I was riding my bike and I get hit by a car and the police said there’s no evidence that I got hit.
E-bikes, E-Moto, non E-Bikes, the vast majority consistently disregard traffic laws. Especially, if they’re riding in a pack.
Cars the vast majority consistently disregard traffic laws. Especially, if they’re riding in a pack.
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