SARASOTA, Fla. — Bikers in Sarasota, beware. Enforcement is in full swing on the Legacy Trail after the county received a long list of safety concerns from pedestrians about how those on e-bikes and e-motos are riding.
What You Need To Know
Sarasota deputies are ramping up e-bike enforcement in response to safety complaints
Deputies are using traffic radar guns, monitoring the 15 mile per hour speed limit, watching for riding after sundown, and warning that violations can lead to fines or arrest
Many trail users say fast-moving e-bikes and e-motos, reckless behavior such as wheelies, lack of warning signals, and inexperienced young riders are making the path feel dangerous
Beyond local enforcement, the issue is gaining attention at the state level. Lawmakers are considering legislation that would create an e-bike safety task force and establish penalties for riders who exceed speed limits on sidewalks and pedestrian paths
Sarasota residents should expect to see changes on the Legacy Trail, including more law enforcement targeting e-bike riders to make the paths safer.
Several bicyclists, like Virginia Hoffman, have concerns about sharing the path with riders who are speeding.
“See that? They love doing that, and one of these days they’re going to fall and break their necks,” she said.
Hoffman says the biggest hazard she tries to avoid on the Legacy Trail: e-bikes.
“You have a group of six or ten-year-olds coming at you on these things. It’s scary,” Hoffman mentioned.
And the only warning she has to pull over is hearing them as they zoom up behind her.
“I have yet to see a person on an e-bike have a bell to alert or say, ‘passing on your left,’” she added.
It has gotten to the point that the Sarasota resident says she avoids certain times of day just to avoid crowds of e-bikes, and she is not the only one.
“He’s doing a wheelie. He’s standing with one foot on the back seat and another one up in the air. These trails aren’t built for bikes like this and racing up and down here,” said Sarasota bicyclist Tim Meyers.
Legacy Trail in Sarasota, FL.
Meyers shares Hoffman’s same concerns, but there is one thing he is happy to see on the Legacy Trail.
Deputies with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office are making sure people on e-bikes and e-motos are sticking to the speed limits.
“The speed limit here on the Legacy Trail is 15 miles per hour. With electric bicycles and electric scooters, they sometimes exceed that limit, so keeping them within that limit is difficult,” said PIO Matt Binkley with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.
Despite this not being a roadway, the sheriff’s office says it has received a long list of complaints that riders on e-bikes and e-motos are not following the rules.
Traffic radar guns are now being used to help enforce the 15 mile per hour speed limit many e-bike riders are breaking.
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office has also noticed many people riding after the trail closes at sundown.
Deputy Jimmy Adams says many of the riders breaking the rules are not old enough to have a driver’s license.
“I have to go through specialized training to get a motorcycle endorsement, and most of these young kids have no training. They’re given this as a toy, and they’re just told to go ride it,” he explained.
According to Deputy Adams, marks on the ground show where kids have been using the trail as a ramp for their e-motos. He says all bicyclists should expect to see more officers and even more enforcement on the Legacy Trail.
“It’s criminal violations. It’s several different criminal violations. We’re going to stop them, have the parents come get them, and document it,” Adams added.
The increased enforcement is giving riders like Hoffman a sense of relief and more reason to get back on her bike.
“I think they need to come out and show their presence more. If they see people going too fast or doing something unsafe, they should wave them over and give them a warning. Once the word gets out, I think you might see a difference.”
Despite the Legacy Trail not being a major roadway, many bicyclists like Virginia Hoffman are relieved to see more officers on the path. They say the increased number of e-bikes and e-motos is putting their safety, and the safety of others, at risk.
“I’m 70 years old. My balance is not as good as it was when I was 40, so it takes more to keep an e-bike in balance. When you’re riding one that can go 20 miles an hour, I think you’re playing with fire,” she mentioned.
For repeat speeders on e-bikes, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office says consequences can include written and verbal warnings and fines for noncriminal infractions, which could be up to $116. Some violations could also lead to arrest.
The state legislature is currently considering a bill that would create an e-bike safety task force and establish penalties for e-bike users who exceed certain speed limits on sidewalks or pedestrian paths.
That proposal is now under consideration by the full House of Representatives. Its companion bill in the Senate unanimously passed the Fiscal Policy Committee earlier this month.
