A year after Los Altos adopted new rules governing bicycles and e-bikes, the city is still relying heavily on education to improve safety, with police and schools reporting continued efforts to reach young riders.
But the number of reported crashes involving juvenile bicyclists in school zones has increased.
From Aug. 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026, the Los Altos Police Department recorded 14 reported collisions in school zones involving juveniles on bicycles or e-bikes. Seven involved e-bikes and seven involved conventional bicycles.
During the same period a year earlier, there were nine such collisions: five involving e-bikes and four involving conventional bicycles. Of the 14 collisions reported in the most recent period, three involved violations of the city’s bicycle ordinance: two juvenile cyclists were not wearing helmets and one was riding on the sidewalk. Police said the types and frequency of ordinance violations were similar to the previous year.
Police have not issued citations under the new ordinance to juvenile cyclists. Instead, officers have continued to make stops and issue verbal warnings. The department does not track warnings by the specific municipal code section involved, so it could not provide a total number of warnings issued under the ordinance.
Danielle Kang, communications and community engagement supervisor for the city, told the Town Crier that the department’s priority when the ordinance was adopted was “safety, education, and positive interactions with the public,” particularly with juveniles.
Officers nevertheless continue to observe violations, including riding double and riding on sidewalks in the downtown corridor, which is prohibited under the city code. Police said many young riders tell officers they were unaware of those restrictions.
Education has also become a focus at local schools. The Los Altos School District (LASD) said all of its principals reported that their schools provide some form of bicycle safety education. Some schools partner with the police department, while others work with Mountain View-Los Altos High School District students. Many incorporate safety education into walk-or-wheel-to-school days, and the district also works with GreenTown Los Altos.
E-bike safety has emerged as a particular focus, according to Erik Walukiewicz, assistant superintendent of business services at LASD.
“We are trying really hard to educate our students, particularly at the junior high, how to safely use and operate ebikes,” Walukiewicz said, adding that Los Altos Police Capt. Katie Krauss has also conducted e-bike presentations for parents at the junior-high level.
The focus on e-bikes comes as their use among young riders continues to grow. Police said officers view every interaction with a juvenile cyclist as an opportunity to reinforce safer riding habits.
Overall compliance remains a work in progress, police said, and bicycle safety education will require “ongoing, continuous efforts” as bicycle and e-bike use increases.
The department is also asking parents to play an active role by teaching children safe riding habits early and reinforcing those practices as they grow.
Editor’s note: After publication, police said three of the 14 collisions involved bicycle ordinance violations.
