TAMPA – Tampa City Council is addressing a growing concern of reckless bicyclists along some of the city’s most popular trails.
On Thursday, Council approved an ordinance on its first reading, to change certain rules for motorized and non-motorized vehicles along multi-modal paths.
The backstory:
The Tampa Police Department has been cracking down on groups of reckless bicyclists over the last year.
In the spring, police released body camera video of a group of bicyclists riding recklessly along the Tampa Riverwalk.
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City councilors say they’ve gotten hundreds of complaints over the last several years from residents who voiced concerns about safety.
New Ordinance:
On Thursday, city council discussed an ordinance that would change some of the rules along multi-modal trails and allow police to cite reckless riders.
City staff says the ordinance would ban people from doing stunts, tricks and wheelies along these trails, lower the speed limit for motorized vehicles from 15 miles per hour to 10 miles per hour, and limit bigger groups to riding two abreast.
These vehicles would also be limited to 36 inches wide.
The ordinance originally stated there would be a $75 fine on the first offense, $150 on the second offense, $300 on the third offense and $450 on the fourth or subsequent offense.
What they’re saying:
During a public comment period at Thursday’s meeting, some residents backed the ordinance.
“In recent years, we’ve seen a significant increase in high speed and unsafe riding behaviors, large, organized bicycle groups with stunt activity that has created real conflict and close-call incidents with pedestrians,” one resident said.
Council members had a long-winded discussion about the ordinance.
“I must’ve received at least 100 complaints from people,” Councilman Guido Maniscalco said. “Then, I’ve witnessed it myself more than once, and I’m thinking, ‘This is bad’.”
Council members agreed that something needs to be done to address the problem.
“We can’t tell the public, ‘We’re not going to do anything’,” Councilman Luis Viera said.
Officers from TPD’s bike unit also spoke on Thursday, saying their main goal is to educate the public.
“It’s a few select riders that are leading these groups of bikers,” a TPD officer said. “We’ve sat and talked to them multiple times, and they are very respectful 99% of the time.”
However, officers said their hands are tied in terms of enforcement right now.
The other side:
Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak and newly elected Councilwoman Naya Young had reservations about the ordinance in its original form.
Hurtak raised concerns about the fairness of the ordinance and the severity of the punishment, since many of the bicyclists in question are young people.
“I will vote for it if it includes pedestrians having to walk two abreast, and it also includes some type of community service or a much, much more reduced fee,” Hurtak said.
Young said she doesn’t want to criminalize kids riding their bikes, but also acknowledged that they need to address the reckless bicyclists.
During public comment, one resident raised concerns about the ordinance, referencing the Tampa Police Department’s bicycle ticketing program, which faced scrutiny around 2015.
“It does smell like a piece of biking while Black,” one resident said.
The DOJ investigated that program after claims of racial profiling, which led to changes within the program.
On Thursday, Councilman Bill Carlson emphasized a duty to make sure this ordinance doesn’t resemble that previous program.
“What we should do is get updates on this occasionally, if we have it, to make sure nobody’s abusing it and that the administration doesn’t target anybody,” he said. “But a random person, regardless of their color, is riding a motorized bicycle and threatening people who are on bicycle or on foot, should get a ticket.”
What’s next:
The council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance on its first reading, but it amended the ordinance before doing so.
According to the amended ordinance, violations would start with a warning, then a $25 fine, followed by a $50 fine and eventually a $75 fine.
There would also be a 90-day education period to make the public aware of the new rules, in addition to community outreach efforts.
The ordinance still needs to pass a second reading, which is set for Dec. 18.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by Tampa City Council members, the Tampa Police Department and Tampa residents.