Sanibel city council votes on E-bike limits

Reporter: Amy Galo Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

The Sanibel City Council has voted to set new speed limits for e-bikes and whether they can ride on the island’s bike paths.

Bike paths on Sanibel are shared by runners, cyclists, dog walkers, and, in more recent years, e-bike riders.

The question before the city council was whether e-bikes with throttles should be allowed, too.

E-bikes have been the center of discussion on Sanibel for months.

“There’s been a lot of discussion on this, a lot of public engagement, parks and rec advisory committee, along with council and kind of back and forth trying to find the best path forward,” said Eric Jackson, public information officer for the City of Sanibel.

The question? Whether class 2 e-bikes should be allowed on the island’s shared use paths.

Class 2 bikes are equipped with pedal assist, but unlike a class 1 bike, they have an added throttle.

Ultimately, the city council decided that class 2 bikes would not be allowed.

“There are pedestrians, there are people that walk their dogs on the path. There’s people that push strollers on the path,” said Jackson, “so it’s really about balancing the easiness of getting around and using the shared use path with the safety of the public.”

Some people are all for the new ordinance.

“My fear is if you approve class 2 bikes for use on the paths, they are going to become the dominant vehicle,” said Sanibel resident Larry.

Others worry it will create more issues for class 2 bike riders who would have to take to the main roads.

“I have a class 2bike. And I’m not going to tell you how many times I’ve been run off the road by cars yelling, ‘Get on the bike path!'” said Dan. “There’s no difference, all I gotta do is disconnect my throttle, pull a plug, and now I’m a class 1.”

The newly passed ordinance would also lower the age limit for e-bike riders from 18 to 16 and authorize the city manager to establish speed limits for shared-use paths.

“The maximum would be up to 20 miles per hour, but there it could be incremental as you get to other parts, where there might be curves that go through or it narrows down. It’s all based on safety,” said Jackson.

Once in place, the speed limit will be enforced just like any other city ordinance.

For more information on biking and hiking in Sanibel, click here.

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