The County Commission has agreed to let Key Biscayne restrict the use of e-bikes on a major county road, without extending the same courtesy to other municipalities in Greater Miami.
The County Commission has agreed for a second time to allow Key Biscayne to restrict the use of e-bikes on a county road – namely Crandon Boulevard – without giving other municipalities the same chance to protect pedestrians within their boundaries.
In the meantime, teenage bike riders continue to flout the rules in Coconut Grove.
“It’s just not OK,” said a woman who observed a group of teenagers last week riding motorized bikes at high speeds inside Kennedy Park. “There could have been a baby on the trail. Everybody was very upset.”
County Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who negotiated the special exception for Key Biscayne, refused during last week’s commission meeting to allow other cities to tap into that exception, saying its details were specifically tailored for the island community.
State law allows cities to restrict the use of e-bikes on their streets and sidewalks, and some have done so, including Pinecrest. But they can’t regulate the use of e-bikes on county roads and sidewalks within their boundaries without county permission.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Micky Steinberg, who represents Miami Beach, wanted to broaden Regalado’s e-bike ordinance to allow other municipalities to piggyback on the language drafted for Key Biscayne.
Other commissioners supported that effort but the full commission rejected Steinberg’s request, telling her she could come back later with an e-bike proposal that would apply to other municipalities.
The County Commission had previously given Key Biscayne permission to regulate e-bikes on Crandon Boulevard, but the permission expired after two years. The commission renewed that permission last week for another two years.
The measure sets a maximum speed of 20 mph for e-bikes on Crandon Boulevard, restricts them to a bike lane, when available, and prohibits the devices from being ridden on public sidewalks or pathways.
Violators can be fined $250 for a first offense, and $500 for repeat offenses. The ordinance says Key Biscayne can impose additional rules, under certain circumstances.
In Miami, the city has banned e-bikes in city parks, but enforcement is spotty.
Read more: A Ban on E-Bikes in City of Miami Parks
The Coconut Grove resident who observed the teenage bikers in Kennedy Park (and who asked that she not be identified by name) said a Miami police officer on the scene at the time of the incident was unable to catch the riders.
The officer gave chase on foot but the bikers sped away. The teenagers appeared to be riding electric dirt bikes, which are classed as motorcycles but are not street legal.
Coconut Grove Police Commander Freddie Cruz, who has encouraged residents to alert him when incidents occur and repeatedly recites his phone number at community meetings, did not respond to a Spotlight request for more information about the incident.
I have almost killed an ebike kid twice in the last 6 months. They completely flout traffic laws and even ride on the sidewalk at a high rate of speed. Last week I was turning Right from McDonald onto Grand at a red light. I looked right for pedestrians, none, I looked left for pedestrians and traffic, none, started pulling out to turn right while looking right and a kid went by on an electric bike (motorcycle) on the crosswalk. I had to jack up on the breaks to not kill him. I called Miami PD who transferd me to the South Station. The officer who answered, I am not making this up, asked me if I had a radar detector when I told her the kid was doing 20 on a sidewalk. The county is not the only problem.