Suffolk County plans to ease electronic bike restrictions on Fire Island during the offseason as a compromise for the beachfront communities without typical roads.
The Suffolk Legislature last month adopted legislation to regulate e-bikes and scooters, including banning their use on sidewalks, which would have been problematic for some Fire Island residents, community leaders said.
A bill under consideration would create a carve-out to allow e-bikes during the offseason on the island’s “pedestrian walks,” which can include “sand, wood, or concrete pathways, boardwalks and sidewalks,” according to the bill.
E-bikes would still be prohibited during the island’s busy season. The allowed use would be from the Tuesday after Columbus Day weekend through April 30.
The legislation also sets guidelines for e-bike use during the time of the year they’re permitted. The e-bikes would be banned at night, restricted to use for those 15 and older, can only carry one person, and must have a working headlight and taillight.
E-bikes on Fire Island “are central” to the communities and “often used as a primary and relied upon form of transportation,” according to the legislation.
The Fire Island Association, which represents 17 communities from Davis Park on the eastern end to Kismet on the western end, advocated for the amendments.
Suzy Goldhirsch, the association’s longtime president, told Newsday on Thursday the pending bill adequately addressed their concerns. It’s important during the offseason for the business community’s workers to navigate on e-bikes, she said. But in the summer, when the population swells, it’s also imperative, she said, to keep those pedestrian sidewalks clear of fast-moving vehicles.
The legislation “finds a common ground,” she said. “I think it’s going to really work well.”
Hugh O’Brien, mayor of the Village of Saltaire, told lawmakers during a November public hearing that Fire Island needed “greater controls over e-bike traffic because of the nature of our walkways.”
Legis. Steven Flotteron (R-Brightwaters), the bill’s sponsor, said lawmakers chose to make the changes for Fire Island with a separate bill to not delay the earlier legislation taking effect.
Legis. Dominick Thorne (R-Patchogue), who represents the eastern Fire Island communities in Brookhaven Town, said the legislature “had to tailor” the law “a little bit to fit the needs of that community.”
The legislature’s public safety committee on Thursday advanced the bill to a public hearing at Tuesday’s general meeting in Hauppauge. It’s not yet clear if the legislature will adopt the bill at the same meeting or wait until the next general meeting in March, Flotteron said.
It can be difficult for some of the communities to get workers during the offseason, Flotteron said, especially when ferries run less frequently or not at all for some communities.
The legislation approved in December raises fines and gives more power to police to seize e-bikes and scooters found in violation.
Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.
