On June 25, Governor DeSantis vetoed SB 382, which would have regulated e-bikes and certain other micro-mobility device provisions, including scooters. This action caused a minor stir among downtown community residents who have observed and encountered dangerous behaviors by persons using these devices. However, the Governor’s veto has no impact on the fairly comprehensive provisions for bicycles, including, by definition, e-bike use, in our local Code of Ordinances, Article V, Section 33.

In my quest to be vindicated as being right, I found this Article and Section one afternoon after stepping out of a doorway of a business on Main Street and being “brushed,” or maybe nearly brushed, by a bicyclist traveling, in my opinion, at a speed that was not “reasonable and prudent.” My vindication was needed because the bicyclist had time, as he sped by, to notice my age and lack of intelligence, allowing him to vociferously comment, with action and voice, on both in a most negative way.

Other interesting guidance provided in the bicycle provisions includes:

Section 33-19 – Right-of-Way of Pedestrians: Bicyclists using a sidewalk or crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and give an audible signal when overtaking or passing a pedestrian. The signal device should be clearly audible for a distance of 100 feet.

Section 33-195 – Rider Has Rights and Duties of a Pedestrian: Have you ever had to get off your bike and walk with it? You are now a pedestrian. You can expect traffic to stop for you when you are about to enter a crosswalk while walking your bike. Conversely, if you approach a crosswalk while riding your bike, you must stop to allow pedestrians entering or in a crosswalk to cross. This means you should not speed around them while they are in the crosswalk.

Section 33-202 – Acrobatic Riding: No rider of a bicycle shall remove both hands from the handlebars or feet from the pedals, or practice any acrobatic or fancy riding on any street. From my reading, this would include “wheelies,” the action of lifting the front wheel of a bicycle off the pavement and traveling any distance as a one-wheel bicycle. Unicycles might be addressed under the provision for maximum seat height allowed, 25 inches from the ground at its maximum adjustable height.

It is not guaranteed that a similar bill to SB 382 will be filed in the next legislative session, but there is a need for the universality of a state provision so that bicyclists traveling across several jurisdictions do not run afoul of common-sense, conflicting ordinances involving speed, right-of-way, audible signals and safe distances to warn pedestrians of a bicyclist’s approach.

The Health and Safety Committee of DSCA will continue to be on the lookout for additional sensible and prudent provisions as they pertain to bicycles, e-bikes and micro-mobility devices, especially provisions for enforcement.

Sarasota Code of Ordinances - Aricle V. -Bicycles