Electric bicycle use regulated in unincorporated Manatee County

Manatee County commissioners approved an ordinance that will regulate the use of electric bicycles on roads, pathways, sidewalks, crosswalks and intersections in unincorporated Manatee County. 

After several residents complained about teenagers taunting them and riding recklessly on electric bikes around the Lakewood Ranch area, Commissioner Bob McCann raised a motion that directed staff to draft the ordinance in May. 

The staff returned July 29 with the Manatee County Pedestrian Safety Ordinance, which prohibits anyone under the age of 16 years old from riding a Class 3 electric bicycle on public roads, bicycle paths and shared use roads and pathways. 

Under Florida statute, there are three classes of electric bikes. 

• Class 1: An electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and it ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. 
• Class 2: An electric bicycle equipped with a motor that may be used exclusively to propel the electric bicycle and it ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 20 miles per hour. 
• Class 3: An electric bicycle equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling, and it ceases to provide assistance when the electric bicycle reaches the speed of 28 miles per hour.

Many of the bikes teens have been spotted riding around the Lakewood Ranch area are electric dirt bikes. Depending on factors, such as the wattage, battery voltage, weight of the rider and terrain, some models of electric dirt bikes can exceed 70 mph. 

The ordinance addresses wattage specifically. Bicycles that produce more than 750 watts of power are now prohibited on sidewalks, bicycle paths and shared roads and pathways.

It further adds that all mopeds, motorized scooters and electric bicycles are prohibited from traveling at a speed greater than 15 mph on sidewalks. 

“I would have liked to be more restrictive under age 16 to require adult supervision at all times,” McCann said. “But (the ordinance) is pretty comprehensive and conforms to state statute.” 

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Randy Warren, public information officer for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, said MCSO hadn’t received the ordinance yet, but once an ordinance takes effect, deputies enforce it. Anyone found to be violating the ordinance can be cited. 

Warren noted that enacting an ordinance is a process. Deputies and the public need to fully understand the changes before enforcement begins. 

“The sheriff wants kids to be kids,” Warren said. “If we have to give multiple warnings, we will. Deputies often gain compliance with traffic-related issues through education.”

Warren couldn’t speak to the cost of a citation yet, but Florida statute cites a range of penalties that start at $15 and max out at $250. 

The estimated annual cost for the county is $15,000 to cover Code Enforcement officer training and enforcement, educational materials for public outreach and the administrative costs of processing the violations. 

The ordinance does not only regulate kids. Once effective, any person over the age of 16 years old must operate an electric bicycle in designated bicycle paths when available. If the adult is accompanying a child under the age of 16, the ordinance allows for the adult to ride on the sidewalk so the adult and child are not separated. 

As with motor vehicles, electric bicycles will be required to come to a full stop when approaching a school bus that has its stop sign displayed and cannot pass the bus until the stop sign is retracted. 

Full stops are also required before crossing intersections, and the electric bicycle must yield to any vehicle already in the intersection.

The ordinance becomes effective as soon as it's filed with the state, but as Warren said, enforcement will take time and residents will be educated and issued warnings first.