WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – The city of Winter Garden has passed the first reading of some new rules to regulate e-bikes and motor scooters in hopes of improving public safety.
In a meeting on Thursday, commissioners voted to pass an ordinance that would not allow operation of an e-bike by anyone under 15, prohibit e-bikes capable of reaching 28 miles per hour on the West Orange Trail, and ban operation of motorized scooters on sidewalks less than eight feet wide.
Anyone who fails to follow the ordinance’s rules will face a $100 fine per violation. A change made to the ordinance on Thursday states “(the) parents and legal guardians of minors in violation are responsible for the payment of fines incurred by minors.”
Alan Schultz often rides his e-bike through Winter Garden and said the new rules could be beneficial when downtown is crowded with trail riders and walkers.
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“It can be dangerous if you’re going too fast on these bikes,” Schultz said. “If you get into an accident, you can hurt someone or kill yourself too.”
The ordinance was considered a week after Orange County commissioners discussed an e-bike safety study and regulation of the devices.
“I heard a lot of issues and concerns about the use of micromobility vehicles, motorized vehicles on sidewalks, trails, on the roads. It didn’t seem like we had a lot of safety mechanisms in place,” Commissioner Nicole Wilson said.
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The City of Edgewater also considered a ban on e-bikes on sidewalks and public parks, but voted against the issue.
In October, Palm Coast passed an ordinance that prohibited children under 11 from operating e-bikes and required riders to carry a government-issued photo ID.
Read the proposed ordinance in the media viewer below: