- April 23, 2024
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Volusia County is pedaling its way to a current trend.
At its meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Volusia County Council unanimously gave staff the OK to draft an ordinance that will allow for the use of electric bikes and other related motorized vehicles on the beach. The e-bikes, which have previously been prohibited from being used on the beach, will be allowed to operate in the urban and transitional beach management areas. These are the sections of the beach where beach driving is allowed, though these e-bikes will not be limited to the driving lanes.
This decision came before the council after two state statutes instated in 2019 and 2020 provided that e-bike, miniature motorcycle, motorized scooter and micromobility device drivers be given the same rights as bicycle riders. Under the current code, bicycles are allowed to operate in all sections of the beach. However, that is a provision e-bikes will not be getting at the moment, since staff documents show that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service won't permit e-bikes and other motorized vehicles to operate in non-driving sections of the beach.
Ginger Adair, county director of environmental management, said e-bikes would potentially have an impact on nesting shorebirds in the natural beach management areas. As these non-driving sections serve as mitigation for the driving portions of the beach, if the council ever wanted to pursue opening those sections for the small motorized vehicles, the county would likely have to increase beach driving mitigation overall.
"I think the [U.S. Fish and Wildlife] Service has been fairly consistent in their determination," Adair said.
County Councilman Ben Johnson said the county should "walk before we run," and that the council should see how the new ordinance does in the urban and transitional beach management areas before approaching the federal government about opening the beach entirely to e-bikes. In addition, the proper use of e-bikes will be monitored by Volusia County Beach Safety.
E-bikes are not only another source of income for local bike rental businesses, but a growing trend, said County Councilwoman Billie Wheeler.
"This is where we need to move forward and progress with the times," Wheeler said.
