By Rich Pollack
Following in the footsteps of leaders in other local municipalities, Highland Beach town commissioners preliminarily agreed to a ban of electric vehicles on the town’s 3-mile-long walking path along State Road A1A.
Under a proposed plan that drew consensus from commissioners at their Sept. 1 meeting, people riding e-bikes, motorized scooters or any other micro-mobility devices could face citations issued through the town’s code enforcement process.
The plan for restricting e-bikes and other such vehicles on the walking path is still in the early stages and is not likely to come back before the commission in the form of an ordinance until November.
In the interim, the town’s staff will begin developing a communication plan to ensure residents and e-vehicle users are aware of the possible restrictions.
Vice Mayor David Stern, who has pushed for some type of regulation of electric bicycles on the walking path, or sidewalk, sees the proposed regulations as a step in the right direction.
“It’s for safety, and that’s been my big concern,” he said.
The vice mayor said that the walking path is used by lots of residents who are out for a daily stroll, walking a dog or pushing a stroller.
“You get an electric vehicle on that path and it’s downright dangerous,” he said.
The walking path, Stern says, will be even more perilous come season when more people are using it.
He said he is hoping electric vehicles will use the newly widened bike lanes along A1A.
“To me, that’s a lot safer than having them on the sidewalk,” Stern said.
The proposed ban would provide some exceptions for a few motorized vehicles, including wheelchairs or a vehicle operated by a person with a disability. It would also exempt law enforcement or public safety vehicles or any electronic mobility device being walked and not operated under power.
Those in violation will be cited under the town’s municipal code rather than under state law and will face fines of $50, although Town Attorney Len Rubin says that could change at the discretion of the commission.
Stern said he is hoping that the result of the new legislation will be voluntary compliance.
“You don’t have to have a citation in order to get safety,” he said.
Commissioners all agreed that the main goal of any restriction would be to improve safety.
Commissioners had discussed e-bike rules earlier this year but said they needed to get the OK from the Florida Department of Transportation because the walking path is on state right-of-way.
Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that the state cleared the proposed regulations following a meeting.
Several other municipalities in the county have passed a ban on e-bikes on sidewalks, including Jupiter and Wellington. Palm Beach County commissioners are also discussing the regulation of e-vehicles in unincorporated areas.
E-bikes generally are different from other e-vehicles because users can still pedal them and use the power boost at their own discretion.
Comments