A Berkeley resident's account of groups of children on e-bikes swarming pedestrians in downtown Walnut Creek is the latest flashpoint in a year-long city effort to curb youth e-bike violations, according to a letter published by News24-680.
Roger Penn Foster wrote that groups of five to seven riders, some he estimated to be as young as 10 or 11, swarmed walkers and came "alarmingly close" to people on foot in both downtown Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. When adults asked the riders to be more considerate, Foster wrote, the children taunted, insulted, and flipped off the adults.
"I know we're in an informational stage with kids at the moment with cities trying to reach kids with information on bike safety," Foster wrote. "That approach doesn't appear to be working."
The letter follows a series of city actions over the past year aimed at curbing youth e-bike violations downtown.
City actions over the past year
On August 22, 2025, the Walnut Creek Police Department conducted a downtown enforcement event that resulted in nine stops, eight warnings, and one impounded electric off-road motorcycle.
In October 2025, the City Council discussed a comprehensive E-Bike Safety Action Plan covering education, enforcement, infrastructure, and regional partnerships. The plan called for increased police patrols on downtown streets and sidewalks and coordination with East Bay Regional Park District on trail enforcement. The city also joined the E-Bike Safety Coalition, a regional working group of public agencies addressing youth-related incidents.
The city's Youth Leadership Commission partnered with Walnut Creek on an e-bike and e-scooter safety campaign aimed at middle- and high-school students, the city announced on its official Instagram account on Friday, October 3, 2025. That post noted children ages 10 to 15 are five times more likely than other age groups to need an ambulance after an e-bike crash.
The Walnut Creek Police Department also released a safety video featuring Officer Adamson reminding riders to follow the rules of the road, yield to pedestrians, wear helmets if under 18, and stay off downtown sidewalks.
At the December 16, 2025, City Council meeting, Councilmember Silva flagged e-bike concerns while the council unanimously adopted the Downtown Curbside Management Plan, noting the city is working to address e-bike usage and rider safety.
Statewide context
The problem extends beyond Walnut Creek. California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a consumer alert on April 15, 2026, warning of "a surge of safety incidents on our sidewalks, parks, and streets." A University of California, San Francisco study found e-bike rider injuries nearly doubled each year from 2017 to 2022. Insurance claims involving e-bikes quadrupled from about 1,000 in 2021 to more than 4,000 in 2025, according to a Verisk report.
California law requires helmets for all e-bike riders under 18. State law SB 1271, effective January 1, 2025, caps e-bike motor power at 750 watts and bans speed-modification kits.
Under Walnut Creek City Ordinance 12.04.010, bicycles and e-bikes are banned from sidewalks in the downtown Triangle area.
