Since 2024, e-bikes have become a common sight on San Ramon roads and trails as convenient methods of transportation for students. But as e-bike popularity surges, the vehicles are also bringing potential danger to the district.
Unlike traditional bikes, e-bikes are much heavier and can travel at extremely high speeds. For students, the vehicles offer a convenient way to get to and from school as an alternative to traditional transportation. Principal Lauren Falkner even noted a potential link between the rise of e-bikes and improved attendance rates.
“I would say if anything, it’s just another way to get to school, right? We’ve seen and I’m not saying it’s directly related to e-bikes, but I know that our attendance rates for this year have steadily increased which has been awesome. If it gets students to school, then I’m all for them,” Falkner said.
However, despite the benefits, e-bikes also pose significant safety concerns. In heavily crowded areas, the risk of accidents is significantly more prominent, especially on school campuses.
“My safety concern that I have regarding e-bikes is just not riding them on campus, like populated areas,” Falkner explained. “So during dismissal and stuff like that, I’d rather see people walk their bikes to the sidewalk or to the road and then get on them.”
But, e-bike challenges extend even beyond school grounds. Safety risks include one growing trend where motorcycles and dirt bikes are mistaken as legal e-bikes.
According to San Ramon Chief of Police Denton Carlson, often through an app, the maximum speeds of the e-bikes are altered and exceed far beyond the speeds originally advertised. These modifications essentially transform the e-bikes into motorcycles, breaking the law and creating a heightened risk to the safety of student riders, drivers and pedestrians alike.
“There is a reason the State of California requires motorcycle riders to pass a riding test and be specifically licensed with a motorcycle endorsement. It takes a specific set of skills, knowledge, and judgment to ride anything that fast safely,” Carlson said.
With speed modifications that allow riders to travel at more than 25 mph, e-bikes become even more dangerous on local roads. These concerns aren’t just hypothetical, either — they’ve already played out in the community.
“We recently responded to an incident on the Iron Horse Trail where an e-bike rider, traveling significantly above the trail’s speed limit of 15 miles per hour, struck someone walking on the trail. Unfortunately, that pedestrian had to be transported to the San Ramon Regional Medical Center because of injuries sustained during the collision,” Carlson explained.
To ensure student safety, a joint letter with the Danville Police Department was sent out to all SRVUSD families in December 2024, addressing safety rules and urging parents to make informed decisions about e-bike purchases. But according to Carlson, the problem goes far beyond what the police department’s resources can properly address.
“We are nowhere near incidents coming to a halt. E-bikes are becoming increasingly common, and from personal observation, I am still seeing a significant increase in dangerous riding among our community’s youth,” he said.
Despite efforts to raise awareness, the gap between safety measures and the prevalence of e-bikes in the district is only continuing to widen. With the challenges posed by e-bikes showing no signs of slowing down, Carlson voices his fear for the future.
“Sadly, I feel there will be a tragic incident in our community sooner rather than later. I hope I’m wrong about that, but from what I have seen and the incidents our officers have recently responded to, it is only a matter of time until someone is seriously injured,” he said.
