Newport Beach homeowner Janet Montgomery said she has counted as many as 20 student e-bikes parked in front of her house at once. The clusters block her walkway and make it hard to move her car.
The pileups are an unintended consequence of Newport-Mesa Unified School District's new Board Policy 5142.04, which bans e-bikes on campus for all elementary and middle school students starting this school year. High schoolers may still bring e-bikes to school with a permit, but younger students who ride have nowhere on campus to leave them.
As CBS Los Angeles reported Thursday, Aug. 27, the ban has sparked friction between homeowners and students' families in neighborhoods near schools.
"In the beginning, they were blocking your walkways so you couldn't get in and out of your house," Montgomery told CBS LA.
As we reported Aug. 27, Ensign Intermediate parents have already called on the district to rescind the K-8 ban.
Parents report harassment, theft risk
The disputes go beyond parking. Alex Williamson, whose son rides his e-bike and parks legally in the neighborhood, said the ban forces students to interact with strangers outside school supervision and leaves bikes vulnerable to theft.
Parent Tim Middleton said someone left a note on his son's e-bike warning the bikes would be impounded if parked in the same spot again. Two students told CBS LA their tires were deflated. Another student who locked his bike at a rack in nearby John Wayne Park received a notice from Newport Beach Public Works stating the e-bike would be confiscated if not removed within 24 hours.
Parents told CBS LA that some homeowners have harassed children who park nearby.
City exploring options
Newport Beach Councilman Erik Weigand, whose wife Krista Weigand sits on the NMUSD board, said he supports the ban but acknowledged adjustments are needed.
"I already have staff researching what can be done to find some middle ground," Weigand said.
He floated the idea of a one-hour or two-hour parking zone near schools but said that approach could create its own problems for residents.
The district's e-bike safety page specifies that the TK-8 ban covers school property "including the periphery of campus, at all times." No NMUSD response to the neighborhood parking complaints appears in public records as of publication.
Newport Beach's separate municipal e-bike code, which took effect in January 2026, allows citations, fines and confiscation for violations.
No board meeting or city council date has been announced to address the parking spillover.
