JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An e-bike rider traveling on a Jacksonville sidewalk could soon have a new speed limit to follow: 15 mph.
The Jacksonville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve new regulations for electric bicycles, ending months of debate over how the city should address the growing use of e-bikes on sidewalks and shared-use paths.
The measure, Ordinance 2026-570, passed 19-0 and now heads to Mayor Donna Deegan before it can take effect. The city’s online legislative record does not yet list an effective date.
Under the ordinance approved by council, e-bikes would be limited to 15 mph on sidewalks and shared-use paths. Riders younger than 16 would be required to wear a helmet, and there is no minimum age to operate an e-bike. The substitute approved by council also addresses careless, unsafe or reckless operation.
The ordinance changed significantly as it moved through City Council.
An earlier version proposed a 10 mph sidewalk speed limit and would have prohibited children younger than 11 from operating an e-bike. Those provisions were removed or changed during the committee process, with the speed limit increased to 15 mph and the minimum age requirement eliminated.
Councilman Michael Boylan, who introduced the legislation, told News4JAX’s reporter Briana Brownlee and photojournalist Jesse Hanson the goal is broader than setting a speed limit.
“And it’s not just about the speed limit; that’s something we can talk about, but lights, horns, helmets, all those things are embedded into the ordinance to encourage people of all ages to safely operate their e-bike,” Boylan said.
How will riders know the rules?
One issue that followed the ordinance through the council process is how riders will be notified about the 15 mph limit.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office previously told News4JAX it did not believe a plan for only 26 signs across the city would provide sufficient or fair notice to people who would be subject to the restriction.
“With respect to the proposed ordinance, we do not believe establishing a new sidewalk speed limit accompanied by only 26 signs throughout the city provides sufficient or fair notice to the citizens who would be subject to that restriction,” JSO spokesperson Christian Hancock said in a statement to News4JAX. “Clear and adequate notice is an important consideration when creating and enforcing a new traffic regulation.”
JSO also said it would continue enforcing existing Florida laws addressing reckless or dangerous e-bike operation regardless of City Council’s decision.
Boylan said he has since communicated with JSO’s traffic division about the department’s concerns.
He has also introduced a separate ordinance aimed at giving council members another option for adding e-bike speed-limit signs in their individual districts.
That legislation, Ordinance 2026-755, would allow council members to use existing money previously appropriated for traffic calming and traffic safety improvements to purchase and install e-bike speed-limit signs. The decision to use the money for those signs would be left to each district council member.
The proposal does not require additional signs to be installed and does not appropriate a new pool of money for them. It was introduced Tuesday and still has to move through the council process. A public hearing is scheduled for Oct. 13.
Boylan said the signage question is part of making the regulations understandable to riders.
“So let’s say I get a call from a constituent about a persistent situation with e-bikes on Orange Picker, for example,” Boylan said. “Now I have an opportunity to buy a sign, put it on the ground there, and say, hey, speed limit on this sidewalk is 15 miles per hour.”
Education is another part of the rollout
The ordinance also calls for the city’s Transportation Planning Division to develop standardized educational information for known e-bike retailers.
Boylan said he has also been working with Duval County Public Schools on educating students about e-bike safety.
He said his concern about younger riders is partly based on an encounter in his own neighborhood.
“I had an incident in my own neighborhood where a young boy, probably 10 or 11 years old, rode off the road and went into a ditch, and my wife and I stopped and put him in our car and put his bike in our car and took him to his friend’s house because both of his parents were working,” Boylan said. “So, you know, we’re just concerned about that, and it’s important for us to educate them, saying, you know, these things are not easy to operate sometimes.”
The ordinance had divided some council members during committee hearings. The Rules Committee approved the substitute 5-2 on Sept. 14, while the Neighborhoods, Community Services, Public Health and Safety Committee approved it 4-1. The Transportation, Energy and Utilities Committee advanced it 5-0 the following day.
By Tuesday night’s final vote, all 19 council members supported the substitute.
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