Arlington County police have a message for parents shopping for their kids’ back-to-school wheels: e-motorcycles aren’t for teenagers.
The devices can reach speeds of up to 65 mph and are “generally NOT appropriate for teens,” according to ACPD. Anyone operating a mobility device capable of more than 35 mph, or with a motor output above 750 watts, needs an M Class endorsement on their driver’s license and proper registration for the device.
E-bikes are a different matter. Most top out at 20 mph, with some reaching 28 mph, and may be appropriate for an older teen depending on their training and experience, police said. The county has a safety guide for riding e-bikes and e-scooters, and ACPD is pointing riders to its “Know the Law Before You Ride” page.
The guidance is part of the department’s annual back-to-school transportation safety campaign. Arlington Public Schools classes resume Monday, Aug. 31, and police say officers and personnel will be stationed at schools across the county to welcome students back. Variable message boards will go up along county roadways.
Arlington also finished a round of school zone safety work before the first day. New speed cushions or humps were installed along eight school slow zone segments, with the type chosen based on road width:
- 28th Street S. near Gunston Middle School
- N. Greenbrier Street near Yorktown High School
- S. Chesterfield Road near Claremont Elementary School and Wakefield High School
- N. Lexington Street near Cardinal Elementary School
- 5th Road N. near Ashlawn Elementary School
- 7th Street S. near the Montessori Public School of Arlington
- 15th Street N. near Washington-Liberty High School, replacing tactical speed humps
- Fairfax Drive near St. Ann Catholic School
Arlington reintroduced speed humps near schools in 2023 after a decade without adding any, targeting slow zones where a 20 mph limit alone hadn’t brought speeds down. Another batch went in last August.
Other projects completed before the school year:
- Flexible posts along the centerline of S. Carlin Springs Road, between Arlington Blvd and 3rd Street S. next to Kenmore Middle School, to visually narrow the road. It’s part of a Vision Zero arterial speed management pilot.
- Rectangular rapid flashing beacons at N. George Mason Drive and 9th Street N., improving the crossing to Escuela Key Elementary School. A first phase in June 2025 extended the median and added curb extensions, markings and signage.
- A concrete island at N. Veitch Street and 18th Street N. near Innovation Elementary School, hardening right turns for drivers.
- A curb extension and improved crosswalk ramp on the north side of Key Blvd near N. Ode Street, serving H-B Woodlawn.
- Curb updates at 2300 Military Road, enhancing the school beacon location near Dorothy Hamm Middle School.
- An all-way stop at Vacation Lane and Lorcom Lane, plus advance signage, pavement markings and mountable medians on Lorcom Lane. The county said it addresses concerns raised by residents and Dorothy Hamm parents.
- The realigned intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and 9th Street S., where a new traffic signal went up this month near the Arlington Career Center and the Montessori Public School of Arlington. That work is coordinated with construction of the Grace Hopper Center.
Two of those projects did double duty. The N. Veitch Street island and the Military Road curb work each made space for a school zone speed camera — the two locations ARLnow reported this morning among the 10 new PhotoSPEED cameras going live this year. The Veitch camera, still being installed, will cover Innovation Elementary; the Military Road camera covers Dorothy Hamm.
The safety work falls under Arlington’s Vision Zero program, now in its fifth year, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries in the county by 2030.
Police are also reminding drivers that holding a phone while driving is illegal in Virginia, with a fine of up to $125 for a first offense, and that a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers can’t be passed.
From ACPD’s press release:
Drivers are reminded to:
- Obey posted speed limits, which may change during school zone times.
- Avoid distracted driving and keep your attention on the road.
- Watch for students walking, riding bikes and other mobility devices to school.
- Do not pass a stopped school bus loading or unloading passengers.
- Have all vehicle occupants wear their seatbelts.
- Pick-up and drop-off students in designated locations.
Pedestrians are reminded to:
- Cross the street at marked crosswalks and never against a red light.
- Look before you cross and follow the direction of school crossing guards and/or Arlington Public Schools staff members.
- Always walk on designated sidewalks or paths, never along the side of a road.
Bicyclists are reminded to:
- Wear your helmet. Helmets are required for riders ages 14 and younger but are recommended for all.
- Keep right and ride with traffic.
- Secure your bicycle with a lock when not in use.
