PALM COAST, Fla. – Palm Coast e-bike riders may soon face new, stricter rules. This week, the Flagler County sheriff presented a proposed ordinance to the Palm Coast City Council that could change how e-bikes are used in the city.
The new rules would ban e-bike use for anyone under 13 years old. They would also limit speeds to 10 mph on most sidewalks and prohibit riders from wearing AirPods or headphones while riding.
“I see them going way too fast and often when they come up to crosswalks, I don’t see them stopping half the time,” Palm Coast resident Eric said.
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While some e-bike riders told the city council the proposed rules are too harsh, many Palm Coast drivers welcomed the changes.
“I’ve had experiences with almost running people over on e-bikes because they’re not following the rules,” resident Nick said.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, who helped draft the ordinance, said current laws don’t give deputies enough authority to regulate e-bikes effectively.
Under the proposed ordinance, anyone breaking the new rules could face a $100 fine or even have their bike confiscated.
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“Many of the e-bikes are not following what the statute says because they adjust them, they tweak them if you will so they can go faster than state law allows. We’ve had one fatality and we’ve had some injuries,” Staly said.
Currently, state law allows local governments to create their own e-bike ordinances. Staly is also working with sponsors to advance a state bill that would standardize e-bike laws across Florida.
“For e-bike riders, you’d really have to know the jurisdiction’s ordinance wherever you go in the state of Florida and there’s hundreds of cities and 67 counties,” Staly explained.
The Palm Coast ordinance will be up for council approval at their meeting on Tuesday morning.
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