Collier County commissioners are proposing changes to the county’s Pedestrian Safety Ordinance in response to the growing number of electric bicycles on sidewalks and roadways.
Officials say the increase in e-bike use has led to a higher risk of crashes and injuries, especially for young riders. The conversation comes just weeks after 14-year-old Clayton Miller was hit and killed by an SUV while riding his e-bike in his North Naples neighborhood.
If approved, the new rules would prohibit riders younger than 16 from operating Class 3 e-bikes, the fastest type with a top speed of 28 mph, on public roads, bike paths and shared pathways. Other requirements include:
- Adults can ride e-bikes on sidewalks when supervising children under 16 to stay with them.
- E-bike riders must stop for school buses displaying a stop signal and cannot pass on the side where children enter or exit.
- Riders at open intersections must stop and yield to vehicles already in the intersection.
- E-bike riders on sidewalks must follow pedestrian signals at signalized intersections.
- On shared pathways in parks or recreational areas, bicycles and e-bikes must yield to pedestrians and give a warning sound before passing.
Collier County Commissioner Dan Kowal, who put the changes on the table, says the rules are necessary to adapt to new technology.
“And it would just basically reinforce keeping up with technology,” Kowal said. “We never expected to have an electric bicycle that can achieve speeds of 35 mph. And these are being issued to children under 16 years of age and driving in our communities and on our streets.”
Commissioners voted unanimously to move forward with advertising the proposed ordinance for public input before making a final decision.