Could County Vote to Open the Door to Relaxed Rules for E-Bikes?

Miami-Dade plans to give Key Biscayne the power to regulate e-bikes on Crandon Boulevard, in a carefully crafted intergovernmental agreement that could allow a future village council to relax the island’s ban on micromobility.

The question is whether there is political will on the village council’s part to relax the ban on battery-powered devices, which was introduced after the Feb. 14 death of Megan Andrews, who was hit by an e-bike while riding her regular bicycle.

Currently, e-bikes and scooters are banned on local village streets, but they are allowed on the cycle paths on Crandon, a county-controlled road. The Miami-Dade County Commission on Tuesday will consider approving the interlocal agreement that delegates power to the village in a two-year experiment.

READ: Resisting arrest charges will be dropped in Key Biscayne scooter case.

It will allow e-scooters and the slower-moving Class 1 e-bikes, but ban the all-electric Class 2 and the faster Class 3 e-bikes that some Key Biscayne council members have said are akin to motorcycles within the village limits.

The interlocal agreement allows Key Biscayne to issue a lesser form of penalty – called a notice of civil trespass. It is similar to a code violation notice.

One of the reasons the Key Biscayne Village Council was hesitant to implement an e-bike ban before Andrews’ death was concern that a Key Biscayne teen under the age of 16 who receives a normal traffic ticket would be unable to obtain a driver’s license. to get. driver’s license until he or she reaches the age of 18. Characterizing Crandon’s violations as civil penalties avoids this concern.

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Village councilor Ed London supports re-allowing Class 1 e-bikes in Crandon and the village’s streets.

“They haven’t been the problem,” London said. “Class 1 e-bikes are limited to 32 kilometers per hour, and when I say limited, you have to pedal like crazy to reach 32 kilometers per hour.”

He said allowing Class 1 bicycles throughout the village would help commuters such as students of MAST Academy. Class 2 bikes can easily travel up to 20 miles per hour, while Class 3 e-bikes can reach speeds of 28 miles per hour.

Councilman Fernando Vazquez said he would never support lifting the ban. “I maintain my position that we should not allow Class 1 on local streets,” he said. “I’m not going that way. One death is enough.”

Mayor Joe Rasco said the village has no plans to relax the ban. “That restriction remains in full force,” he said. “Until now, Crandon Boulevard has had no restrictions.”

He said the interlocal agreement does not allow anyone to ride an e-bike on the sidewalks, requiring him or her to use the bike path on Crandon.

“We are grateful to the province for taking this on and taking measures that will help keep our community safe.”

According to a memorandum, the interlocal agreement would only be in effect from the northern border of Key Biscayne to Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

For riders of e-bikes and electric scooters, this means that they will have to leave Crandon with their devices at some point.

Still, Village Manager Williamson said the interlocal agreement “is a step further so that we have full coverage in the village,” Williamson said.

According to a 2023 report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the use of e-scooters, hoverboards and e-bikes has increased the number of emergency-related injuries in recent years. E-bikes alone accounted for 15 percent of emergency room visits, a total of 53,200 visits.

Vazquez said a recent accident on Crandon involving an e-bike confirmed his concerns.

“Our decision to ban certain electric bicycles is not something we have taken lightly, but it is necessary to protect the lives of those who call Key Biscayne home,” he said. “This is what leadership means to me: making tough decisions that protect our residents and the future.”

Editor’s note: The Independent Editor-in-Chief Tony Winton contributed to this story.