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Brea schools and police launch e‑bike safety program with required trainings and permits
Summary
The Brea Olinda Unified School District on June 12 approved an e‑bike safety partnership with Brea Police and the city that will require parents and students to take a training, register a specific bike and display an annual permit sticker; initial community sessions are set for July 17 and August 6.
The Brea Olinda Unified School District on June 12 outlined a new e‑bike safety and permit program developed with the Brea Police Department and the city to reduce student injuries and teach responsible use of electric bicycles to and from school.
District staff, police and city communications staff described a three‑part approach: education, enforcement and engineering. Dr. Carrie Johnson said the objective is to "enhance student safety by informing parents of the capabilities of e bikes, and also creating guidelines for students so they can be responsible riders to and from school." Parents and students who complete a Brea PD safety course will receive a certificate that must be presented to the school site to receive an annual permit sticker tied to a specific bike.
Lieutenant Chris Harvey of Brea Police, who oversees traffic, said the department wrote a roughly 200‑slide training designed to run about two hours. "Education is the most impactful way to change behavior on this topic," he said, adding that the department will coordinate videos, printed materials and website content with district communications. The two initial in‑person sessions are scheduled for July 17 and August 6; organizers said additional sessions will be scheduled based on demand.
The program includes several operational rules: permits must be tied to a physical device so staff can verify the bike is not a prohibited class (the district will not permit class‑3 e‑motorcycles); helmets are required for riders under 18; chargers will not be provided on campus and bikes must be securely locked. Corporal Wolf and other officers emphasized enforcement will focus on reckless or dangerous behavior rather than routine sidewalk riding by middle‑schoolers who show regard for pedestrians.
Board members asked about outreach and agreed to coordinate back‑to‑school communications and social‑media materials. District staff said the district website will host program information, and principals have begun notifying families at the junior high and high school levels.
Implementation will begin this summer and the board directed staff to return with any needed administrative regulations and implementation details for campus staff oversight.
