SOLON, Ohio — Crews are still drilling away along Solon's Som Center Road as construction enters its second month.
"It's been a challenge," Mike Walker, a local, said. "Especially with the start of the school year. There's been a lot of construction. I think it will ultimately be a good thing, but right now, we are struggling to get through it."
Construction should wrap up by the end of November, but it still creates challenges for drivers and bike riders, especially student e-bike riders.
One student was hit by a car on the first day of school. The injuries were minor, but the incident led to a district-wide ban on all e-bikes.
The following statement was sent to parents and guardians from the district:
"Dear Solon Schools Families,
We are writing to inform you of an important safety concern and announce a new policy regarding motorized bikes on our school campus. Effective immediately, all e-bikes equipped with a throttle are banned from our school campus.
Yesterday after school, a Solon High School student riding a motorized e-bike through the Solon High School parking lot was struck by a car. The student was transported to the hospital for treatment, and thankfully, the injuries are not serious.
Leading up to the start of school, we had witnessed an increasing number of students riding motorized bikes, often ignoring traffic laws and creating dangerous situations. Now, this incident, combined with multiple reports from staff and community members of unsafe behavior involving e-bikes on and around our campus, has prompted us to adjust our bike policy.
It is crucial that our community understands that e-bikes are NOT exempt from traffic laws. Cutting through traffic lanes, riding on sidewalks, performing reckless stunts and failing to yield to pedestrians are dangerous. We cannot allow these activities to continue for obvious safety reasons.
Any e-bikes found on campus will be held. The student will need to see the administration and the student’s parents will be contacted.
It is absolutely the responsibility of all drivers, traditional bike riders and pedestrians to follow traffic rules on and around school property. We need everyone's cooperation to ensure our school grounds and the streets around our schools remain safe for all members of our community.
We encourage parents to have serious discussions with their children concerning safety and expectations regarding all forms of transportation to and from school.
Thank you for your support."
Walker is also president of Bike Solon.
He disagrees with the district's decision.
"Outright bans don't solve the problem," Walker said. "Education would solve the problem."
Bike Solon is a local chapter of Bike Cleveland. Walker said he reached out to the district to recommend throttle-free zones and reduced speed limits instead. The district thanked him for his comments, but reaffirmed the ban.
"We have a lot of folks, including students, in the area that use e-bikes in order to get around," Walker said. "To get to work, to get to school, so giving them the resources to safely operate those vehicles would be more beneficial than an outright ban."
There doesn't seem to be any loopholes around the ban. Walker mentioned to News 5's Caitlin Hunt that some students were parking their bikes at the nearby library.
In a statement from the Solon branch of the Cuyahoga County Library, a spokesperson confirmed that student e-bikes were being parked at the library after the ban. Those bikes were blocking the benches and bike racks for library customers.
The bikes did not return after the library contacted the school district.
"It just shows the need for this form of transportation," Walker said. "Students clearly need a way to get to school. They were trying to find a solution by parking at the library and walking that third of a mile to school."
Although the ban remains in place, Walker is asking his community to educate themselves on these bikes, not just because of the Som Center construction, but for everyday safety.
"We are all vehicles on the road," he said. "We all need to follow the rules, whether you're driving a car, riding a bicycle, or an e-bike. We really need to make sure that people are educated and have a safe way to leverage that active transportation."
