DUVAL COUNTY, Fla. \u2013 Jacksonville\u2019s Rules Committee voted 5-2 Monday to advance a substitute ordinance aimed at regulating e-bike safety on city sidewalks and shared pathways, capping speeds at 15 mph and calling for retailer-based public education \u2014 a move supporters say is long overdue.<\/p>\n
Council Member Michael Boylan, who introduced the legislation, framed the issue in stark terms.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo think it\u2019s okay for a child whose only qualification is that the feet can reach the pedals of an e-bike, can go 28 miles an hour on a sidewalk or a shared pathway \u2014 in my mind is flawed thinking,\u201d Boylan said.<\/p>\n
What the bill does<\/p>\n
The substitute ordinance includes nine amendments from a previous version of the bill. Among the key changes: the speed limit was raised from 10 mph to 15 mph on sidewalks and shared pathways, in line with a Florida state statute governing local e-bike ordinances.<\/p>\n
The bill also removes a previously proposed age limit, leaving enforcement of age-related restrictions to parents and guardians. It includes language giving Jacksonville Sheriff\u2019s Office, or JSO, officers discretion to cite riders for unsafe operation without having to document a specific speed violation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they see a young man or young woman going down on a sidewalk at 20 or 25 miles an hour, the police officer has every right to stop that person and hold them accountable for the fact that they\u2019re unsafely operating that e-bike on a sidewalk,\u201d Boylan said.<\/p>\n
Signage costs, enforcement concerns<\/p>\n
Chris LeDew, the city\u2019s chief of traffic engineering, told the committee that federal guidance from the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices allows jurisdictions to post speed limit signs at city borders or neighborhood entry points rather than along every sidewalk.<\/p>\n
\u201cBasically, you can put up a sign and say, area wide, this is the speed limit, this is the law,\u201d LeDew said. \u201cThe only requirement is that there is an ordinance for that jurisdiction that allows that placement of signs.\u201d<\/p>\n
LeDew estimated the signage would cost between $5,000 and $10,000 and require several dozen signs placed at major entry points into Jacksonville.<\/p>\n
JSO Chief of Patrol Support JD Stronko raised concerns about whether border signage alone would be sufficient for real-world enforcement.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re gonna have a child who\u2019s gonna ride out of his garage most likely into a neighborhood and never pass these signs,\u201d Stronko said. \u201cMaybe not for weeks he won\u2019t have seen these signs, their parents won\u2019t see these signs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Council Member Ron Salem echoed those concerns, saying he relies on JSO \u2014 not legal counsel \u2014 to determine enforceability.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see how I can support the bill the way that it is today,\u201d Salem said.<\/p>\n
A representative from the Office of General Counsel, countered that the border signage approach is legally sufficient.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the position of the Office of General Counsel that the signage as articulated by Council Member Boylan and Chief LeDew is sufficient to render this an enforceable ordinance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Retailers, education efforts<\/p>\n
A key component of the bill requires that within 60 days of the ordinance taking effect, local brick-and-mortar e-bike retailers post safety signage at points of sale directing customers to information about local and state e-bike laws.<\/p>\n
Matt Fall, with the city\u2019s Transportation Planning Division, said his department is prepared to support those efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Transportation Planning Division is happy to develop and provide all of that signage,\u201d Fall said. \u201cWe\u2019re happy to maintain the educational material and the webpage as proposed in the ordinance. We\u2019re happy to provide retailers with a standardized, printable sign with a QR code that directs e-bike customers to current information regarding local and state e-bike laws.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boylan noted the 60-day window is strategic, putting the education push in place before the holiday shopping season.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can rest assured e-bikes at Christmas will be a big deal and we\u2019re gonna see a huge infusion of these bikes in our communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Council Member Ju\u2019Coby Pittman suggested broadening outreach beyond retailers, potentially partnering with Duval County Public Schools, libraries and other community organizations to reach young riders directly.<\/p>\n
Urgency behind the bill<\/p>\n
Council Member Tyrona Clark-Murray urged her colleagues to look past the signage debate and focus on the human cost of inaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren and adults are losing their lives using these bikes, and we \u2014 Duval County \u2014 don\u2019t have any legislation regarding regulation of them,\u201d she said. \u201cThe most important part is to put some legislation in to regulate so that kids aren\u2019t dying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boylan cited data from Wolfson Children\u2019s Hospital projecting e-bike injuries in the area could reach 194 cases, compared to 23 just three or four years ago. He also referenced conversations with a UF Health official who chairs a national committee focused on e-bike safety and expressed support for the bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we okay with the fact that the only qualification a child needs in order to get on an e-bike and drive it on a street almost 30 miles per hour is that their feet can reach the pedal?\u201d Boylan said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t make sense to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Next steps<\/p>\n
The bill now moves forward as substituted for a full council vote. Boylan acknowledged the ordinance is imperfect but said it represents a necessary first step.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a start,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a perfect bill, but when people are asking us what are we gonna do about e-bikes, this is the first step in that process.\u201d<\/p>\n
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