A surge of accidents and injuries across the state from electric bicycles — known as e-bikes — has caught the attention of state and local lawmakers, and Wellington leaders are also interested in creating their own e-bike rules to improve community safety measures.
The Wellington Village Council discussed creating local regulations on e-bikes at a visioning workshop meeting Wednesday, May 13.
State lawmakers have already approved Senate Bill 382, which establishes statewide safety rules for e-bikes and other “micromobility devices.” Notably, it would require e-bike riders to yield to pedestrians, give an audible warning before passing on shared pathways, prevent riders from traveling faster than 10 miles per hour within 50 feet of people in pedestrian-designated areas, and create a statewide Micromobility Device Safety Task Force.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has not signed the bill into law yet, but Village Manager Jim Barnes said that Wellington staff has been working to draft a local ordinance to regulate e-bikes.
“Senate Bill 382 doesn’t preempt us from being able to address it at the local level,” Barnes explained.
Last year in January, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies launched Operation Moto Madness to enhance public safety and address illegal electric motorcycle and e-bike activity throughout Wellington. The initiative resulted in dozens of arrests and citation notices, but deputies discovered that enforcement for device-related violations can be difficult.
“We only pursue vehicles in cases of violent crimes,” PBSO Capt. Nichole Addazio said. “Not only are they taking off, but they’re taunting our officers, they’re wearing masks, they’re wearing helmets and they’re blacked out. This is not just a problem in Wellington.”
There are multiple different types of e-bikes, that each come with their own set of rules, including whether riders need a driver’s license and maximum speed limits. Palm Beach County leaders are also considering creating their own ordinance that the village can decide to opt into.
“The best thing we can do is continue the public education, continue the public engagement, and ultimately make a determination of whether we want to fall under the auspices of the county, and how they choose to implement their micromobility ordinance countywide,” Barnes said.
Mayor Michael Napoleone was interested in creating a local ordinance because he believes that the village can create better safety regulations than could be adopted at the county or state level.
“I think I’d rather do our own ordinance than rely on what the county is going to come up with,” Napoleone said. “When we did our golf cart ordinance, we put in better restrictions than what the state had and what the county had.”
DeSantis is expected to consider signing the bill into law by June or July. Barnes advised the council to decide how to proceed after the governor’s decision.
