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Parent urges Glendora to ban e-bike and e-scooter riding on school sidewalks during drop-off
Summary
A Glendora parent asked the city council to bar e-bikes and e-scooters from sidewalks outside local schools during drop-off and pick-up hours, citing safety concerns and gaps in state law that exempt e-bikes from a sidewalk prohibition that applies to e-scooters.
Olivia Lesh, a parent at La Fettia Elementary School, told the Glendora City Council on May 27 that “the practice of e bikes using the sidewalks has created an increasingly hostile environment for pedestrians and students.”
Lesh, who said she had discussed the issue with principals, crossing guards, other parents and Glendora police, urged the council to explore steps that would increase safety for pedestrians and riders. She noted that “California law prohibits the use of e scooters on sidewalks where a designated class 2 bike lane exists” and said that law does not apply to e-bikes, which she described as weighing “between 40 and 80 pounds” and able to reach speeds of “20 miles per hour.”
The parent asked the council to consider a targeted rule: make sidewalks in front of schools “no ride zones during busy drop off and pickup hours pursuant to code 10 17 40.” Lesh said that, while some parents and the police view riding in the bike lanes as dangerous during peak times, riding on sidewalks exposes children and pedestrians to high-speed riders who are not anticipated by motorists or waiting students.
Mayor David Friedendahl responded after public comment by noting the police department has spent “a great amount of time this school year on education processes and trying to help the riders be better neighbors and better riders and working with the schools as well.” He suggested further interaction with police and schools “to see if there's some opportunities to go further without making that an additional agenda item.”
The council did not take formal action on the request during the meeting. No staff report or ordinance was introduced; the council directed follow-up discussion and indicated the police department and schools already are engaged on education and enforcement efforts. If council or staff pursue a regulatory change, it would require a future agenda item and formal adoption process.
For now, parents and the police department remain the primary actors on site; the council asked staff to continue coordination with schools and law enforcement and to report back if a formal proposal is necessary.
