One of the things I love most about Los Gatos is how easy it is to get around on two wheels.
Whether it’s families riding along the Los Gatos Creek Trail, students biking to school, or neighbors choosing a bike instead of a car for short trips, biking has long been part of our community’s culture. In recent years, electric bicycles have made that even easier, becoming a convenient and environmentally friendly way for students, older adults and families to get around.
But as e-bikes have grown in popularity, so have concerns about safety.
Over the past year, I’ve heard from many concerned residents about risky behavior involving e-bikes, and I’ve seen quite a bit of it myself. Parents pushing strollers have described close calls, and drivers have had to take abrupt action to avoid young riders weaving through traffic or ignoring stop signs. I worry someone will be seriously hurt if things don’t change.
As a former teenage boy, I understand the appeal. If 14-year-old me had access to what kids have now, I would have gotten myself into trouble.
To begin, a basic distinction is important: Not all e-bikes are the same.
Under California law, legal e-bikes fall into three classes, with the fastest capable of reaching 28 miles per hour with pedal assistance. When ridden responsibly, they can be a safe and practical form of transportation.
Most of the concerning behavior we’re seeing is not on these traditional e-bikes. Rather, the most dangerous riding involves high-powered electric motorcycles (motors >750W) and illegally modified throttle-assist e-bikes. Many of these e-motorcycles have no pedals, can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour or more and are illegal to ride on public streets without registration and licensing.
These e-motorcycles often cost several thousand dollars, meaning teenagers aren’t buying them with their lunch money. In most cases, parents purchase them, often unaware they are illegal. Unfortunately, e-motorcycles are increasingly ridden by young people who may not fully understand the risks or the rules of the road.
Research shows e-bike users face higher odds of injury than traditional cyclists, and younger riders have particularly high crash rates. While Los Gatos has not seen a surge in serious crashes, we have had injury-causing collisions, and the potential for harm is real. Both Half Moon Bay and Davis have experienced fatal e-motorcycle crashes in the past month alone. Our responsibility as a community is to address the issue before tragedy occurs.
Last year, Vice Mayor Marie Ristow and I brought forward a recommendation for a four-pronged approach to achieve e-bike safety in Los Gatos. It consists of education, registration, legislation and enforcement. Work to implement these ideas continues, and many of the efforts described below reflect that approach.
At Los Gatos High School, administrators recently introduced a bicycle registration and safety training program for students who ride to campus. Students watch a safety video, complete quizzes on traffic laws and road etiquette, and register their bikes. Most riders have gone through this process, and the program is reducing the number of illegal e-motorcycles being brought to school. Other schools serving Los Gatos are now exploring similar programs.
The Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department has increased enforcement, stepped up its presence around schools and expanded education about e-bike laws. You may have seen our motorcycle officer pulling over riders on illegal e-motorcycles.
Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Safe Routes to School continues to provide excellent safety education to students and families about responsible riding. Together, these efforts reflect an approach focused on education, enforcement and clearer regulations.
Looking ahead, I’ve been working to help families better understand the difference between legal e-bikes and illegal e-motorcycles before making a purchase. It is important to know that all three Los Gatos bike shops – Mike’s Bikes, Summit and Specialized – sell only legal e-bikes. Buying locally supports our small businesses and helps ensure you’re purchasing something safe and legal to ride.
Vice Mayor Ristow and I are also working with a group of Hillbrook students to create educational resources that make the rules around e-bikes easier to understand. Our hope is that young people can help create messages that resonate with their peers.
I’ve been pushing for broader regional action. Last month, the Cities Association of Santa Clara County, representing all 15 cities in the county, adopted e-bike safety as one of its top three priorities for the year. I’m also tracking state legislation that would clarify the distinction between legitimate e-bikes and illegal e-motorcycles, prohibit marketing e-motorcycles as e-bikes and require students statewide to complete an e-bike safety program.
No town or school district can solve this problem alone, which is why regional collaboration is so important.
I want the Los Gatos community to know that I take this issue seriously and will continue working with our schools, the police department, regional partners and state legislators to improve safety. My goal is for residents to enjoy the real benefits of e-bikes while curbing the proliferation of e-motorcycles so our streets and trails remain safe for everyone.
E-bikes are a valuable transportation option, and I want them to remain part of life for people in Los Gatos. But like any powerful technology, they come with responsibility.
If we work together as parents, students, neighbors, schools, law enforcement and local government, we can ensure Los Gatos remains a place where people of all ages can enjoy getting around safely on two wheels.
Rob Moore is the mayor of Los Gatos.
