Danville, CA — May 13, 2026 — Danville residents have made themselves heard, and the message is not subtle.
The Danville Sidewalk and Park Path E-Bike Survey, released May 11 by Danville Safety Advocates and Mount Diablo Cyclists, drew 676 responses. Among them, 87.1% said e-bikes should not be allowed on sidewalks and park paths. 88.7% said they had personally felt unsafe because of an e-bike, e-moto, electric scooter, or similar device in a pedestrian space. And 87.7% said they would support a Danville ordinance prohibiting e-bikes from neighborhood sidewalks and park paths.
This is not a community split down the middle. It is a community asking, with one voice, for the Town to act.
A Council majority moves forward
At the May 12 Town Council meeting, three council members — Karen Stepper, Mark Belotz, and Renee Morgan — directed Town staff to prepare two ordinances for future consideration: one extending Danville's existing downtown sidewalk e-bike prohibition to all residential neighborhoods, and a second prohibiting e-bikes on Town-owned park paths.
Council members Robert Storer and Newell Arneich opposed moving the ordinances forward.
The next Council discussion is expected within the coming weeks.
What residents said they're worried about
The survey asked respondents to identify their top safety concerns:
Pedestrian safety — 89.5% (603 respondents)
Speed of e-bikes — 84.3% (568 respondents)
Safety of dog walkers — 61.8% (410 respondents)
E-motos or electric motorcycle-type devices — 50% (337 respondents)
A total of 241 residents submitted written comments, and the same scenarios came up again and again: riders passing without warning, children operating throttle devices at high speeds, near-misses involving seniors, strollers, and dogs on leashes. The comments came from across town — Greenbrook, Sycamore, Danville Station, Westside, Diablo Road, Blackhawk, Alamo, Tassajara Ranch, and dozens more neighborhoods.
A Greenbrook resident wrote: "Please ban these vehicles from sidewalks and enforce the ban before someone is seriously injured."
A Danville South resident put it more bluntly: "Speed is a big issue along with lack of training and maturity of the drivers."
Several residents said they had changed where or when they walk. Others said they had stopped using certain trails entirely.
The Collision Data
Over the last 16 months, from January 2025 through April 29, 2026, Danville recorded nine e-bike collisions. At least seven involved riders age 16 or younger, with reported ages of 15, 16, 14, and 12 in 2025, and 14, 16, and 14 in 2026.
Those figures only count crashes reported to police. The Town's Transportation Manager has acknowledged that "a lot of accidents" go unreported. And they don't capture the residents who have stopped walking on sidewalks or park paths out of fear.
(Photo Dr. Russell Rodriguez speaks about Rising trend in injuries)
Last month, Dr. Russell Rodriguez, chief medical officer at John Muir Health, testified that hospital data show an "alarming trend" of injuries from "high speed" devices producing what he described as "motorcycle level" trauma.
The Danville Risk Assessment, issued February 1, 2026, reached a similar conclusion: Danville's typical 4-to-5-foot residential sidewalks were designed for pedestrian use, not for shared operation with devices capable of 20 to 40 mph.
Residents are not asking for a ban on e-bikes
They are asking the Town to protect the places where pedestrians should feel safe.
The proposal does not stop anyone from riding an e-bike in Danville. Riders would still use streets and bike lanes. What residents want is a clear line at sidewalks and Town-managed park paths — the spaces most heavily used by children, seniors, dog walkers, families, and people with limited mobility.
Danville already drew that line downtown in 2024. The survey results, the recent collision pattern involving young teens, the John Muir Health testimony, and the Risk Assessment findings all point to one conclusion: the same principle should apply in neighborhoods and parks.
If you are a Danville resident, you can participate in the Survey!
Survey Link: https://bikedanville.org/danville-sidewalk-and-park-path-e-bike-survey/
The next Town Council meeting on the proposed e-bike ordinances is expected in the coming weeks. Residents who want to weigh in can attend in person and speak during public comment. The meeting date will be posted on the Town of Danville website.
Reporting based on the Danville Sidewalk and Park Path E-Bike Survey Report (May 11, 2026), the Danville Risk Assessment on Sidewalk Operation of Electric Bicycles and High-Powered Electric Motorcycles (February 1, 2026), and the May 12, 2026 Danville Town Council meeting.
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