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Board debates e-bike rules as FDOT safety plan flags rising serious crashes
Summary
The MPO heard a safety‑action‑plan briefing that found fatalities and serious injuries rising since 2020 and identified high‑injury corridors; board members spent substantial time on e‑bike jurisdiction and enforcement, with staff saying the issue spans enforcement, engineering and education and a public commenter urging a major education campaign.
The Collier MPO received two related safety updates: an overview of the county"s draft Safe Streets and Roads for All safety action plan and an extended board discussion about e‑bike use, enforcement and facility design.
TY Lin senior vice president Stacy Meekins presented the safety‑action‑plan existing‑conditions analysis. Meekins said fatal and serious‑injury crashes have been increasing since 2020 and summarized the analysis by saying, "basically 1 fatality every 10 days and 1 serious injury every 2 days" countywide. The consultant identified five leading crash causes — failure to yield, roadway departure, reckless driving, disregarding traffic signals and speeding — and used that data to map a high‑injury network. Meekins said the plan will prioritize countermeasures and policy recommendations and return with draft recommendations for the board this spring and a draft final plan in June.
Board members then discussed e‑bike policy and enforcement as part of the safety conversation. Commissioners and staff agreed the issue has three parts — enforcement, engineering and education. County deputy attorney Scott Teach said enforcement and jurisdiction are complex because counties generally regulate sidewalks while the state controls roadways; he also suggested many vehicle categories (scooters, seated scooters, motorized assist bikes) are being recategorized in statute. One commissioner described pacing an e‑bike on a sidewalk at what he estimated as "35 miles per hour," and other members raised concerns about children riding high‑speed devices. A staff member said the current draft county ordinance would require people 16 and older to use a bike lane if one exists, while allowing parents with young children to use the sidewalk.
Michelle Avola Brown of the Naples Pathways Coalition, a registered public commenter, urged caution about moving e‑bikes from sidewalks onto roadways without broad education. "We are already seeing in the news the number of people who are getting hit riding bikes in a bike lane," she said, and warned that putting e‑bikes into traffic without education could raise fatalities.
Staff told the board the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee is working on a bicycle master plan and some jurisdictions (City of Naples, Sanibel) have sidewalk/bike ordinances already. Commissioners asked the county attorney and FDOT to research other jurisdictions' enforceable ordinances and report back; the board also heard there may be legislative efforts to clarify state rules.
The safety action plan will continue engagement and provide prioritized locations and countermeasures; board members requested follow‑up briefings and for staff to keep e‑bike enforcement and education issues active in committee work.
