The “hip and yo” new transport for many young students has hit a roadblock. On April 1, Summit families received an email detailing a new e-bike rule, restricting the use of e-bikes and e-scooters on Bend-La Pine School District (BLPSD) campuses for those under 16. For several years, Oregon has had a law stating that you must be 16 years of age to ride, but the school district hasn’t done much to enforce that. However, after many complaints and a fatal accident involving a student on Highway 20, the district rolled out a new system to help enforce state law.
The new regulation prohibits students under the age of 16 from bringing an e-bike onto school property, and those 16 and over must comply with Oregon state law. Students who wish to bring an e-bike onto school property must fill out a permit application, after which their VIN (vehicle identification number) is confirmed, and then they will receive a sticker to be placed on the vehicle to signify being a permit holder.
Unfortunately, it only takes a few troublemakers to ruin it for all. Brian Harris, Summit hall monitor and parking manager, attributed much of the issue to the (formerly) large middle school ridership.
“You know you see 2 or 3 kids on the bikes, and they aren’t following the [rules of the road],” said Harris.
The district has received many complaints to the same end, and others have reported seeing many middle school students without helmets, which is against state law even for normal bikes.
The state has split electric bikes into 3 classes as follows: Class 1 is pedal assist only (that assistance cuts off at 20 mph), Class 2 bikes can be propelled without pedaling (and also top out at 20 mph) and Class 3 bikes require pedaling, come with a speedometer and are limited to 28 mph. As stated by Oregon law, you must be 16 years old to use an e-bike, and the penalty is defined as a traffic violation, with a maximum fine of $100.
Ultimately, the district created this rule for the safety of both riders and cars with the end goal of improving the safety of all in and around campus areas.
