South Florida city rolls out new age limits, rules for e-bike riders starting in August, police say

A South Florida city is rolling out new rules for e-bike riders starting next month, including a minimum age requirement and a ban on riding on sidewalks. 

The Sunny Isles Beach Police Department says e-bikes can travel up to 28 miles per hour and should be treated like a vehicle. Starting Aug. 16, riders must be at least 16 years old to operate one. 

"You wouldn't give a 12-year-old a car so why would you give them an e-bike that can go up to 28 mph?" said Melissa Porro, public information officer for the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department.

Porro said many of the accidents involving e-bikes in the city were preventable.

"We see them everywhere throughout South Florida. Unfortunately we have seen a lot of accidents. Some of them fatal," Porro said.

Under the new rules, riders must carry a valid government-issued photo ID while operating an e-bike. E-bikes are prohibited from sidewalks and riders must follow all applicable bicycle and traffic laws.

Porro said pedestrian safety was a key concern behind the changes.

"The pedestrians walking on our sidewalk they want to feel safe too. Unfortunately, we've had incidents where they've also have been hit or almost hit," Porro said.

Code enforcement officers and police will begin issuing citations on Aug. 16. A first offense carries a $250 fine. Each subsequent violation is $500.

"It's very costly, but at the end of the day you cannot put a price on safety and on keeping our families and our visitors well that they can walk on our sidewalks without getting injured by one of these e-bikes or e-scooters," Porro said.

The new e-bike rules follow a separate ordinance the city passed for e-scooters. Those regulations went into effect on June 1.