Public Safety panel urges ebike safety campaign while state rules evolve

The Miami Lakes Public Safety Committee moved to prioritize a safety-focused response to growing use of electric bicycles and similar devices rather than pursue immediate local enforcement changes.

Chair Carlo Bres said state law gives local governments limited options and stressed the committee should prepare public-education materials: "A local government may adopt an ordinance providing 1 or more minimum age requirements to operate an electric bicycle and may adopt an ordinance requiring an operator of an electric bicycle to possess a government issued photographic identification while operating the electric bicycle," he said. Bres urged members to return with a short, five-point script focusing on helmets, obstructing traffic and parental responsibility. "If our action is you all wanna come back to the next meeting with ideas of a PSA, let's do this," he said.

Members also discussed enforcement limits: committee speakers noted that even if the town adopted new wording, enforcement may fall to code officers rather than the sheriff's office, and that pending state statutes could change what the town can or should do. The committee agreed there was "nothing to vote on" immediately but asked members and staff to draft a PSA and practical safety points for a future vote and distribution through schools and town communications.

Next steps: the committee asked volunteers to draft a five-point script before the next Public Safety Committee meeting for review and potential launch as a school- and community-facing campaign.