The Fort Myers Beach town council delved into the details of e-bike regulations during a lengthy meeting Monday.
"I mean, I'll be honest, the sidewalk feels a lot safer than the road because at this part, there's not, you know, like a space for us to ride. So I kind of stay on the sidewalk," said Justin, who rented an e-bike.
While people think e-bikes are great for getting around, there are safety concerns. The town council spent time talking about the speed limit for e-bikes on the sidewalk.
Someone suggested a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit on the sidewalk, but other council members argued that would be nearly impossible to enforce.
They also want riders to slow down when passing anyone on the sidewalk, yell out warnings to those they're passing, and possibly change the rules as the season comes and goes.
People on the beach Monday said they feel safer on the sidewalk than on the busy, congested Estero Boulevard.
"It does make sense to see them on the sidewalk because some of the areas of the road are wider, and some of them are more narrow. So in some places there's not even enough room, like right here, there's not enough room. So farther down, there might be a bike lane. I still don't even feel safe. I personally prefer to be on the sidewalk, feel safer to me," said Denise Cooper, a Fort Myers Beach resident.
"I definitely would prefer the sidewalk because it's safer. I feel there's just so much traffic, and it's scary," said Paige, who rented an e-bike.
The biggest change is the ordinance will be changed to say e-bikes can go 10 miles per hour on the sidewalk, rather than the original 15 mph.
Another big point of conversation was signage. Leaders want those created and posted as soon as possible to make it clear how to use e-bikes safely here on the beach.
After Monday's conversation, the council decided to bring it back for more discussion at a later date.