Bonita Springs council adopts ordinance regulating e‑bikes and micromobility devices on sidewalks and trails
June 06, 2026 | Bonita Springs City, Lee County, Florida
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The Bonita Springs City Council voted to adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 40 to regulate electric bicycles, motorcycles and personal electric power devices on streets, sidewalks and other public areas.
The ordinance creates a new, catchall definition — "electric mobility device" — intended to capture evolving vehicle types and prevent repeated reclassification. It bars operation of many electric‑powered vehicles on trails, greenways, greenbelts and easements unless specifically posted and restricts motorcycles that require registration from sidewalk use.
The ordinance sets a local default "safe passing" speed of 15 miles per hour on sidewalks and shared‑use paths but incorporates the state standard that riders must slow to 10 mph when passing within 50 feet of a pedestrian. The language also allows the city to adopt lower speed limits by signage in narrower sidewalk segments or downtown areas.
"I defined the term electric mobility device as a catchall," City Attorney Derek told the council, explaining the change was intended to accommodate new devices as they come to market. He said other provisions address yielding, helmet use for younger riders and general rules of the road.
Council members raised enforcement and behavioral concerns: one member asked whether the ordinance could require riders to travel single file on crowded sidewalks; Derek answered that some traffic regulation is preempted by state law and that enforcement and nuance would require education and signage. He said the Lee County Sheriff's Department is the primary enforcement agency and that violations would likely be charged as second‑degree misdemeanors under applicable traffic rules.
A motion to approve the ordinance passed on a roll‑call vote; council members present voted in the affirmative. The city will coordinate implementation with the sheriff's office and return with changes if state law or new vehicle types require adjustments.
The ordinance does not create a new fine schedule in its text; staff said any specific penalty amounts could be adopted later by resolution.
The ordinance creates a new, catchall definition — "electric mobility device" — intended to capture evolving vehicle types and prevent repeated reclassification. It bars operation of many electric‑powered vehicles on trails, greenways, greenbelts and easements unless specifically posted and restricts motorcycles that require registration from sidewalk use.
The ordinance sets a local default "safe passing" speed of 15 miles per hour on sidewalks and shared‑use paths but incorporates the state standard that riders must slow to 10 mph when passing within 50 feet of a pedestrian. The language also allows the city to adopt lower speed limits by signage in narrower sidewalk segments or downtown areas.
"I defined the term electric mobility device as a catchall," City Attorney Derek told the council, explaining the change was intended to accommodate new devices as they come to market. He said other provisions address yielding, helmet use for younger riders and general rules of the road.
Council members raised enforcement and behavioral concerns: one member asked whether the ordinance could require riders to travel single file on crowded sidewalks; Derek answered that some traffic regulation is preempted by state law and that enforcement and nuance would require education and signage. He said the Lee County Sheriff's Department is the primary enforcement agency and that violations would likely be charged as second‑degree misdemeanors under applicable traffic rules.
A motion to approve the ordinance passed on a roll‑call vote; council members present voted in the affirmative. The city will coordinate implementation with the sheriff's office and return with changes if state law or new vehicle types require adjustments.
The ordinance does not create a new fine schedule in its text; staff said any specific penalty amounts could be adopted later by resolution.
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