Im struggling a bit to pick an ebike and was hoping I could get pointed in the right direction.

I want something I will use to get to work in the city but part of my ride is an area I do not feel safe on the road. When my job was closer I ended up opting for a mountain bike after too many spills on a road bike from potholes and mean drivers. I liked this because the unsafe roads I could hop onto the sidewalk and hop off if I saw any pedestrians coming to give them right of way. My bike was so agile there was never a problem and I never got near any pedestrians on sidewalks while on a bike. But the e-bikes I test drove were so bulky there was no way I’d ever take them on a sidewalk like that.

Is there anything that won’t break on sidewalks that at times feel like a mountain trails and is light enough I can alway give way to pedestrians way before they reach me?(Although unlikely on the areas I’d need to avoid the road on). And would an M drive be best?

Ideally my budget would max out around $3500.