BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Students in Bismarck who ride electric bikes and scooters to class will soon face new safety measures requiring them to hop off and walk near school grounds.
Bismarck Public Schools is asking each building to map out designated walk zones, focusing on areas with heavy vehicle and bus traffic during morning drop-off and afternoon dismissal. Under the plan, students may still commute on e-bikes and scooters, but they must get off and walk them as they approach school buildings.
Horizon Middle School Principal Shawn Oban said this marks the first year e-bikes have become a significant concern on his campus.
“Having worked at a middle school now for a handful of years, middle schoolers don’t always make the best decision,” Oban said. “And so when they’re driving these e-bikes, and they’re darting in and out of traffic around the school, it is just a recipe for something bad to happen.”
While Oban noted that many students operate the devices responsibly, the risks around congested school zones prompted action.
“There are responsible kids that do use them correctly,” Oban said. “But in our case around this school, it would only take one. And I have seen unsafe behavior of kids riding these bikes in and out of traffic.”
School staff will continue addressing unsafe riding directly with students, while school resource officers can enforce municipal rules if necessary. Horizon Middle School plans to release its walk-zone map to families in its October newsletter.
The district’s measures follow the City of Bismarck’s recent adoption of new regulations governing e-bikes and electric scooters. The city ordinance establishes a minimum operating age of 12 for electric scooters as well as Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, and age 16 for Class 3 e-bikes. The ordinance also caps speeds at 15 mph on public sidewalks and bike paths.
The safety push comes after a September crash in which a 15-year-old student riding an e-bike collided with a school bus at Century High School. Police reported the student sustained minor injuries.
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