Families whose children ride e-bikes could be held responsible in court with fines and jail time if their children go faster than 15 mph on sidewalks in proposed regulations that Jacksonville City Council will vote on Sept. 22.
Whether the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office will enforce the local regulation is an open question because the city has no immediate plans to install signs with the 15 mph speed limit along the sidewalks where people typically ride e-bikes around neighborhoods.
The Sheriff's Office says it would be hard to justify issuing citations if there aren't signs alerting e-bike riders about the speed limit.
The legislation filed by City Council member Michael Boylan won support from three council committees on its way to a vote by the
full council. He said he's gotten more public feedback in support of the bill than any single piece of legislation he's put forward.
"People are just saying we've got to do something," he told council members.
Here's how the regulations in the bill (2026-570) would apply within the city limits of Jacksonville.
Maximum speed on sidewalks
Boylan originally sought a 10 mph limit for e-bikes on sidewalks but changed it to 15 mph because that's the speed limit cited in a state law that lets local governments enact their own regulations.
Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed legislation that would have set a statewide 10 mph limit for e-bikes within 50 feet of pedestrians. Boylan said there must be a limit for the increasingly popular electric-powered bikes.
"To think it's OK for a child whose only qualification is that their feet can reach the pedals of an e-bike to go 28 miles an hour on the sidewalk or a shared pathway in my mind is flawed thinking," Boylan said.
The bill would give law enforcement officers the ability to issue citations if the officer's visual observation determines the e-bike rider is using it in a careless, unsafe or reckless way.
Boylan said if an officer sees an e-bike rider clearly going faster than 15 mph, the officer wouldn't need to use a radar speed gun in order to cite the rider.
No age-based restrictions on operating e-bikes
Boylan's bill originally would have made it illegal for anyone under the age of 11 to operate an e-bike on any bicycle lane, bike path, bikeway, right of way, roadway, sidewalk or other city-owned property in Jacksonville.
He dropped the age limit after the Sheriff's Office said it would be difficult to tell whether a child is under 11 or might be 11 or a couple of years older.
The bill still says e-bike operators and passengers who are under the age of 16 must wear properly-fitted and securely attached bicycle helmets.
Violating e-bike regulations would bring fine up to $100
Violations would be a Class C offense in the city's municipal code. Class C offenses are civil infractions punishable by a fine up to $100 and as much as six months in jail.
Parents and guardians of minor children would be subject to the penalties if they "authorize or knowingly permit" a child to violate the e-bike regulations.
Sheriff's Office says lack of signage would make enforcement problematic
The legislation does not contain funding to put up speed limit signs or say where the city would place them.
To make the speed limit enforceable, the city would need to put up the signs on major roads where they enter the city, according to city lawyers and the city's traffic engineering division. That would entail about 26 signs at a cost of $10,000 to $15,000.
Undersheriff Shawn Coarsey told council members that wouldn't be enough for officers to issue citations for speeding.
"In my opinion as a law enforcement officer, it would be difficult to go in front of a court and defend writing someone a citation for speeding on an e-bike if there was no signage there indicating what that speed is," Coarsey said.
He said the Sheriff's Office already can cite e-bike rides under existing state law for reckless driving and would continue to use that law for enforcement.
Merchants selling e-bikes would post signs about city regulations
The city's Transportation Planning Division would create a sign that brick-and-mortar retailers selling e-bikes would display so their customers can get information about the city's regulations. Boylan said that would help educate families about the importance of safety for both riders and others when e-bikes are using sidewalks and shared-use paths.
The signs would have to be displayed by Dec. 1 so they are up in time for the holiday shopping season when Boylan predicted the city is going to see huge increase in e-bikes given as presents.
Majority of City Council has shown support for proposed regulations
Ten council members voted for the bill in committees, which would be a majority when the full 19-member council vote Sept. 22.
Council member Tyrona Clark-Murray said instead of reacting as the city has been to children drowning in drainage ponds, the city must be proactive about the safety hazards posed by unsafe operation of e-bikes.
"It doesn't have to be perfect but it's a start, and I think the expectation of our constituents is we start somewhere because this is a problem," she said. "I think they're tired of us operating from a once a child is killed position."
Council members Will Lahnen and Ron Salem voted against the bill based on the Sheriff's Office raising concerns about being able to carry out enforcement of the proposed 15 mph speed limit.
The City Council meeting on Sept. 22 at Jacksonville City Hall, 117 W. Duval St., is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., an hour earlier than usual because council will be taking up approval of the 2026-27 budget.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: E-bike regulation would set 15 mph speed limit on sidewalks
