Gulfport officials are considering new rules for electric bikes amid concerns about speeding riders and pedestrian safety, but council members want more evidence of the extent of the problem before deciding how far the city should go.
A draft ordinance presented to the City Council last week would prohibit e-bikes from sidewalks, establish speed and helmet requirements and allow additional restrictions in crowded areas and during special events.
City Attorney Barry Salzman stressed that the eight-page proposal was intentionally written to give council a range of options rather than serve as a finished ordinance.
“Let me preface this by saying the way this ordinance was written was to include every possibility that I could find that you could implement in an ordinance,” Salzman said. “That being said, I expect you to remove portions of it.”
No vote was taken. Council members instead asked for Gulfport-specific information on crashes, complaints and other incidents involving e-bikes before the ordinance returns.
The discussion follows the failure of proposed state legislation seeking stronger e-bike regulations in Tallahassee this year. Florida law generally treats electric bikes like conventional bicycles but allows local governments to regulate where and how they are operated.
The Gulfport proposal would prohibit e-bikes from sidewalks and limit them to 15 mph on multi-use paths, trails, parks and recreational areas. Riders younger than 16 would have to wear helmets, while children younger than 14 could not operate Class 3 e-bikes, which can provide pedal assistance up to 28 mph, on public property.
The city manager or police chief could also designate “High Pedestrian Activity Zones” in places such as downtown, parks, waterfront areas, near schools and festival venues. E-bikes would generally be limited to 8 mph in those areas, with officials able to require riders to dismount. Special events could bring temporary speed limits, dismount zones, designated parking or prohibitions on e-bikes.
Violations could eventually result in fines ranging from $50 to $250.
Salzman pointed to Gulfport’s small sidewalks and heavily attended events as places where conflicts can arise. Without additional local regulations, e-bikes generally have the same sidewalk access as traditional bicycles.
Council Member Jennifer Webb said she wanted to see police reports, accident data and resident complaints before deciding which provisions belong in the ordinance. She also questioned the basis for specific proposals, including the 8 mph limit in high-pedestrian areas.
“Without the data … it feels like it’s hard to make informed decisions about what type of requirements we need to keep and what type of requirements we need to let go,” Webb said.
Council Member Jennifer Daunch questioned whether some of the behavior prompting complaints is specific to e-bikes or could already be addressed through existing traffic and safety rules.
“If we have trouble with kids disrupting traffic in certain neighborhoods, maybe that needs to be addressed, but I don’t know that that’s necessarily part of the concern of e-bikes being regulated throughout the community,” Daunch said.
While some council members wanted documentation before acting, Vice Mayor Marlene Shaw said police reports may not capture what residents are experiencing. She said residents have told her people are being knocked down on sidewalks, in parks and elsewhere in Gulfport, even if those incidents are not being reported to police.
“Speed is the issue,” Shaw said. “I can’t emphasize enough how important that this is the real issue at hand.”
Shaw said parents she spoke with supported proposed age and helmet provisions, and favored starting with some regulation that could be adjusted later if necessary.
“I do believe we do need to do something,” she said.
The proposed sidewalk ban exposed another concern: rules intended to protect pedestrians could make e-bikes less practical for people who rely on them for transportation.
“A lot of people use these for transportation,” Salzman said. “These are used by legitimate people going to work, getting their groceries, doing their daily … chores. So, we don’t want to prohibit those people.”
Mayor Karen Love also opposed a blanket requirement forcing e-bikes off sidewalks and into streets, saying there are Gulfport streets where she would not feel comfortable riding a bicycle in traffic herself.
That concern carried into public comment, where residents pointed to places where avoiding sidewalks could create practical problems.
Julie Armstrong, who rides a homemade electric tricycle, noted that downtown bike racks are located on sidewalks and said pushing a three-wheeled bike can be difficult. She also described crossings where she considers traveling between sidewalks the safest option. “I’d hate to see anything that said not on sidewalks,” Armstrong said.
Marilyn McClellan raised a different enforcement problem, questioning how riders could comply with speed limits when many e-bikes do not have speedometers. She suggested the city consider improving bicycle routes and parking as an alternative to some restrictions.
Support for regulation also came through an electronic comment from Gulfport resident Tom Hanley, who said clearer rules would improve safety for pedestrians and traditional bicyclists.
As the discussion progressed, council members increasingly focused on narrower restrictions, particularly during festivals and other crowded events. Salzman said Gulfport could even test restrictions through a resolution before permanently adding them to city code.
The ordinance is expected to return after council receives more information about what Gulfport police have encountered. Webb said that information should come before council decides how much regulation is warranted.
“Without the public safety data, it’s just regulation for the sake of regulation,” Webb said.
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