Rocklin police, schools see fewer kids with high-powered e-bikes after campus ban
.jpg "Pedestrians and eBikes riders share the Tahoe East Shore Trail along Highway 28 in the Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Incline Village in 2021. In Rocklin, police and school officials are teaming up against illegal e-bike behavior with children 15 and under.")
Higher-powered electric bikes are becoming far less common on Rocklin elementary and middle school campuses after a district ban took effect earlier this year.
The Rocklin Police Department and the Rocklin Unified School District implemented a ban on Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes on elementary and middle school campuses in February after a rise in crashes involving children.
Conversations about a ban began after Rocklin Police Chief Rustin Banks raised concerns over 2024 data showing an increase in e-bike collisions involving children under 15.
The data provided by the Rocklin Police Department at a Rocklin Unified School District school board meeting in September showed that 68% of the city’s bicycle collisions involved e-bikes. Of 17 injury crashes involving e-bikes, 13 involved juveniles, Banks said. Most of those riders were between 11 and 15 years old, too young to hold a driver’s license, which is required for the two-wheel vehicles.
Banks also said 69% of the collisions occurred between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., which align with peak school travel hours.
Rocklin police partnered with Rocklin Unified School District officials after determining the city could not enact a local ban on e-bikes because of Assembly Bill 1909, authored by then-Assemblymember Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, and signed into law in 2022. The law limits the ability of local jurisdictions, including cities like Rocklin, to impose certain restrictions on bicycle use.
However, counties like Marin and San Diego were selected to participate in an Electric Bicycle Safety Pilot Program that allows local officials to temporarily adopt stricter e-bike regulations. Under that program, San Diego County adopted an ordinance prohibiting children under age 12 from operating Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes.
While Rocklin officials continue working with Placer County partners and state representatives to pursue a similar pilot program locally, police and school leaders turned to the district as a way to address safety concerns through campus restrictions and expanded education efforts.
The Rocklin Unified board approved the ban on Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes for elementary and middle school campuses in December, giving the district time to notify families during winter break.
Under the policy, students may bring traditional bicycles or Class 1 e-bikes, which are pedal-assist bikes without a throttle that can reach speeds up to 20 mph.
California law already prohibits riders under age 15 from using Class 2 e-bikes, which have a throttle and can reach speeds up to 20 mph. Despite that restriction, students were still bringing them to school, officials said. Police also reported that some Class 2 e-bikes had been modified to reach speeds between 20 and 50 mph.
Class 3 e-bikes are also banned from elementary and middle school campuses. Those bikes are pedal-assist only but can reach speeds up to 28 mph and require riders to be at least 16 years old and wear a helmet.
The district began a warning phase when school resumed in January, issuing verbal warnings to students who brought bikes that did exceeded Class 1 standards.
During that time, Rocklin police distributed informational cards at local schools explaining the new rules to students and families.
Full enforcement of the policy began Feb. 2.
Students who bring Class 2 e-bikes may face progressive discipline, including warnings, meetings with school administrators, parent conferences and, in some cases, requiring families to retrieve the bike from campus.
Banks said there were no e-bike-related collisions involving children 15 or younger during February, the first month of enforcement.
Sundeep Dosanjh, a spokesperson for Rocklin Unified, said school administrators previously saw about 120 Class 2 e-bikes at Granite Oaks Middle School alone.
Now, Banks said, campuses are largely seeing traditional bicycles and Class 1 e-bikes.
Dosanjh said the district’s goal is to ensure students arrive safely and ready to learn.
“By restricting the use and storage of Class 2 e-bikes and e-scooters on elementary and middle school campuses for younger students and partnering with the Rocklin Police Department, we hope students are less likely to be involved in accidents traveling to and from school, while the restrictions also help make our school zones safer for everyone,” he said.
Banks said the community has largely supported the change. He noted that a local shop, Bikes & Riders Bike Shop, has been converting Class 2 e-bikes into Class 1 bikes by removing the throttle for about $30.
The shop’s owner, Gleb Rezvukhin, said the conversion process is straightforward.
“We believe this is a reasonable solution, especially considering how many bikes fall under this ban and how easily they can be converted to Class 1.,” he said. “It allows students to continue using their bikes responsibly while complying with the updated rules. Supporting safe and practical solutions for families in our community is important to us.”
Rocklin Mayor David Bass said early results from the campus restrictions have been encouraging.
“This partnership demonstrates how city and school leaders can work together to implement thoughtful, practical solutions that prioritize safety without discouraging active transportation,” he said.
