Collier County wants to make roads safer with new e-bicycle rules for unincorporated parts of the county.
Commissioners approved changes this week after the death of 14-year-old Clayton Miller . The teen died in March when a vehicle hit him while he rode his e-bike.
Under the new rules, children under 16 are now banned from riding Class 3 e-bikes — the ones that can reach 28 miles per hour — on public roads or bike paths unless an adult is with them. People over 16 must ride “power-assisted bicycles” in bike lanes when available, not on the sidewalk.
The rule said this is for e-bikes that produce 750 watts of power or more.
Susan Sonnenschein with the Naples Pathways Coalition rides a Class 1 e-bike, which only works if you pedal and shuts off at 20 miles per hour.
“Do I look like a scary person or more like a senior citizen? Grandmother? This is my bicycle. I have put thousands of miles on my bicycle in Collier County safely on the sidewalks," Sonnenschein said. "As a matter of fact, I'm kind of an ambassador for safe biking, and I just don't understand why no one differentiated very clearly the difference between e-bikes.”
She spoke to commissioners this week at the meeting, calling the rules unclear.
"It was pretty vague and played down. But yes, we are allowed to ride on the sidewalk safely. We always have to practice safety — pedestrians always have the right of way. You stop for school buses, you stop at stop signs," Sonnenschein said. "You do all the right things to be a safe, good citizen. But that doesn't mean we should ban these. It's just wrong. We're getting the wrong impression. They're two completely different creatures."
The new ordinance applies only to unincorporated areas of Collier County. Commissioners say it's a step toward improving safety as e-bike use continues to grow, especially among young riders.