Miami commissioners adopted e-bike and scooter rules Oct. 22: no riders under 16, no sidewalk riding, a 20 mph cap and $100 fines. What the posted text says.

Updated Oct. 25: The Miami City Commission adopted the ordinance “with modifications” on second reading Oct. 22, according to the city’s legislative record. It is now Ordinance 14497. The record says the final text is “pending final approval as to form and correctness by city attorney.” The city has not yet posted the vote count or what the modifications were. The text posted on the record still carries the rules listed below, including the under-16 ban, the sidewalk ban and the $100 fine. The ordinance takes effect on adoption unless the mayor vetoes it within 10 days. We will update this page when the final text and vote are posted.

Riders under 16 would be barred from e-bikes and electric scooters on Miami streets under an ordinance up for a final vote Thursday. The rules would also ban riding on sidewalks, cap speeds at 20 mph and set a $100 fine for each violation.

The Miami City Commission meets at 9 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 22, at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive. The ordinance is on the agenda for the Oct. 22 meeting as a second reading, which is the final vote.

Commissioners passed it on first reading 5-0 on Sept. 24, according to the city’s legislative record for the ordinance. Commissioner Christine King moved it and Commissioner Rolando Escalona seconded it. The sponsors are Commissioners Damian Pardo, Escalona and Ralph “Rafael” Rosado.

What the ordinance would require

The text posted for Thursday’s meeting creates a new Section 8-20 in the city code. It covers e-bikes, motorized scooters and other motorized devices that cannot go faster than 20 mph. Under it:

  • riders under 16 may not operate any of these devices on city streets and rights-of-way
  • every rider must carry a valid government-issued photo ID
  • no riding on a public sidewalk or pedestrian walkway, except to walk the device or park it
  • devices may be ridden only in bike lanes where there is one, or on streets with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less
  • the top speed on city streets is 20 mph
  • one rider per device, unless it is built for more; an adult may still carry a child who is securely attached and wearing a helmet
  • no parking on sidewalks except in a designated spot, and never where it blocks a doorway or leaves less than 3 feet clear for people walking

The ordinance defines an e-bike as a bicycle or tricycle with working pedals and a motor of less than 750 watts. It does not apply to wheelchairs or other mobility devices covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Fines and tickets

Each violation, and each day it continues, would be a separate offense with a $100 fine. Miami police could also write state traffic tickets, and riders could be cited under Florida traffic law “in the same manner as motor vehicles,” the ordinance says. Civil fines could be appealed to a special magistrate.

The ordinance would take effect as soon as it is adopted. The mayor has 10 days to veto it, under the standard note on the city’s legislation.

Why the commission says it is needed

The ordinance’s preamble says e-bikes and scooters have become cheaper than other ways of getting around and are “proliferating the streets, sidewalks and right-of-ways” in the city. It says reckless riding puts riders, people walking, cyclists and drivers at risk. State law, sections 316.2128 and 316.20655 of the Florida Statutes, lets cities adopt their own rules for these devices.

Also on Thursday’s agenda

Other items on the same agenda include:

  • a final vote on a process for running farmers’ markets in city parks
  • a final vote on a pilot to allow advertising on construction fencing in the urban core
  • a resolution to set up an internal committee to coordinate the city’s Vision Zero traffic safety policy
  • a resolution requiring the Miami Parking Authority to tell a district commissioner 30 days before it installs pay-by-phone signs or parking kiosks
  • Citizens’ Independent Transportation Trust money for an on-demand electric Freebee shuttle in District 5
  • first votes on a new Allapattah Entertainment District for alcohol sales and on tougher civil fines for animal cruelty

What it means for you

If you ride an e-bike or scooter in the city of Miami, the rules could apply as soon as Thursday’s vote. Riding on the sidewalk, riding on a street posted above 30 mph with no bike lane, or leaving a scooter blocking the sidewalk could each cost $100. Parents of riders under 16 should know the ordinance bars them from city streets on these devices.

The rules cover the city of Miami only. They do not apply in neighboring cities or in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

You can watch the meeting live at miami.gov/tv, on Comcast Channel 77 or AT&T Channel 99 in the city. Public comment starts at about 9 a.m. You can speak in person at City Hall or send a comment through the city’s online form, which stays open until the chair closes public comment. The city’s notice for the Oct. 22 meeting and its meeting instructions page explain how. If the meeting is canceled for lack of a quorum, it moves to 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27.

To find your commissioner, see who to call at City Hall. For other ways to get around, see our getting around Miami guide.

We will report the outcome after the vote.