The next time Fort Myers Beach Public Safety Committee Chair Dawn Thomas makes her report to the full Town Council she’ll recommend the town rescind its ebike ordinance and allow e-bikes on sidewalks. This has been an issue the Town Council has been considering for over a year.
On Fort Myers Beach all ebikes are currently prohibited from riding on sidewalks. Bikes without any type of motor are allowed. There are some ebikers that believe this needs to be changed, that it’s more dangerous for them to ride on Estero Boulevard (especially between Red Coconut and Times Square) than it is for them to be mingling with pedestrians on sidewalks.
There are three classes of ebikes that are now on the consumer market.
- Class 1 ebike is an electric bicycle that provides pedal-assist only, meaning the motor assists you only when pedaling. A class 1 ebike does not have a throttle.
- Class 2 ebike is equipped with a throttle-assisted motor. Class 2 allows the rider to engage the motor without pedaling, using a throttle. The motor assistance on these bikes also cuts off when the bike reaches a speed of 20 mph.
- Class 3 ebike provides pedal-assist up to a higher speed compared to class 1 and 2 ebikes. The pedal assistance in a class 3 ebike cuts off when the bike reaches 28 mph.
The Public Safety committee will also recommend the Town Council pursue dividing up the sidewalks from Times Square to Red Coconut by. They want the town to draw a dividing line, taking 30% of the sidewalk, closest to the inside, marked for all bike traffic with images that have the bike going with the flow of traffic.
The other 70% of the sidewalk, closest to the Boulevard, would be for pedestrians and show pedestrian markings. There would also be signs showing it’s a shared sidewalk. It’s important to note that Lee County owns the sidewalks on that portion of Estero Boulevard.
The committee will also recommend the town install additional signage close to Margaritaville, and in the highly congested areas, that there is no bike riding on the sidewalk.
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I’ve read the negative comments against e-bikes riding on the sidewalk, so I’ll add my 2 cents again. All of these comments can also describe drivers in cars. Do these drivers always allow cars onto Estero when traffic is bumper to bumper? Are they respectful? How about those vehicles that don’t use their turn signals? How about drivers who don’t stop for people crossing in crosswalks? Does everyone driving a car adhere to the rules of the road? If someone gets hit in a crosswalk by a car, does that person have the right to sue the town? You’ll find some e-bike riders like drivers who are not respectful. Just as you’ll find golf carts and motorcycles riding on the sidewalks and down the center lane which was designed for emergency vehicles and turning lanes. I think I have more than my 2 cents, but I had to say my piece. Have a great day!
Absolutely crazy idea. What happens when a 2 year old gets hit because they changed direction quickly ?
E bike riders are egotistical and think they are more important than the lowly pedestrian.
I would definitely sue the rider and the Town if I was hit.
Where is Lee County on this issue since they own the sidewalk. ???
Bill
Bad idea!!! I have been hit by an a__h___ on an e-bike on the sidewalk by Lani Kai. Hope the Town had a huge liability policy. If you allow e-bikes, then why not electric scooters and electric motorcycles??! I’m sure they will ride the speed limit, just like e-bikes do. Then you might as well allow gas powered scooters and motorcycles. I’m sure they will ride the speed limit as well. With tourists walking 4 abreast as not letting other pedestrians pass without walking in the street, this is a recipe for disaster!
E-bikes should be allowed on sidewalk as long as they are respectful There is so much complaining about traffic. E-bikes would ease that! You don’t need to use the motor when you are near pedestrians. It’s not safe to ride bikes in the street. You can’t have it both ways. More bikes or more cars ??
Respectful!!! You are joking, right???
Who has the right of way? Are pedestrians required to jump out of the way of bicycles? Are cycles (electric or not) required to give way to pedestrians?
Why do we have bike lanes if no one uses them? I understand that where there are no bike lanes, that cycles and pedestrians need to share. But what about where we have bike lanes and light traffic? Should clear right of way signs be posted?
I often ride on the sidewalk but I never expect a pedestrian to get out of the way. I always use the street to go around them. Or I just slow down and wait until it clears. Walkers on the sidewalks should have the right of way.
I agree with most that E bikes traveling 15 to 20MPH will be an accident ready to happen. There”s no reason they can’t travel in the street between the suggested locations when at 15 to 20 MPH they’d probably be able to travel faster than cars.
Totally ridiculous allowing E bikes on Estero Blvd sidewalks it is insane to even comprehend this idea. Bicycles are considered vehicles and are subject to follow the traffic laws!
Are you suggesting north of red coconut everybody on a bicycle stand out in the stop traffic along with cars? Lol!! What part of no bike lane don’t you understand?
They are called side WALKS…not side RIDES.If you can’t ride your ebike safely in the street..How will you ride it safely on the sidewalks. In the area that’s being talked about.Its mostly bumper to bumper.Just maybe bike riders can just beat this traffic jam.At the peril of pedestrians on the side walk.
so maybe the pedestrians need to move out of the way. As we safely navigate our E bikes and bikes down the only possible course, which is the sidewalk. We can all share the sidewalk.
that IS why bike lanes were put in is to keep them off sideWALKS. If there is no bike lane, WALK your bike on the sideWALK.
Awesome! Share pics of the mayhem! Motorized bikes (Ebike if you perfer the trendy name) and elderly people – going to be a massive fail.
we’ve been doing it for eight years at least. Show me the amount of reported accidents between E bikes and pedestrians. Lol
I think if dawn gets hit by a bike going 20mph she may change her position. Ask ocean city, nj how many pedestrians are hit and seriously injured by regular bikes on the boardwalk 4x as wide as our sidewalks.
And they have designated lanes.
I’m fearful enough of the cars when i’m walking on the sidewalk in fmb.
I agree that it’s a no brainer jay. Designate one side for walkers and one for bikers. Put a line down the center. See how good they are at staying on their own side.
What happens when a car gets in an accident or a Golf Cart gets in an accident. I guarantee you when they put a line down the center. It’s the people walking that will be a problem that will ignore it.
As a snowbird, no vote, but agree with “Ray” that it is unsafe for pedestrians to be on the road side of the sidewalk and bikes passing on the right. That seems backward.
As I stated before
E-Bikes and Bikes on one side of road
Pedestrians on other side…
NO Brainer…
When riding a bike or walking on a sidewalk against the grain of traffic, we’re having the traffic coming towards you. It’s very dangerous for people coming off the side street who were looking towards the cars coming at them as opposed to the people on the sidewalk. I ride my bike almost every day never have had or been in an accident, but the closest calls are always when you’re riding on the wrong side of the road so to speak and it’s not just a little bit. It’s much more dangerous for both the bicycle rider and the car. Sounds like a good idea, but from experience, it’s terrible.
If you’ve been run over by an E-bike on FMB as a result of town councils action, you may be entitled to compensation.
We should do a study and look at the amount of incidents in these different categories
Walking
Bicycles
E bikes
Golf carts
And motor vehicles
No matter what mode of Transportation you’re using you must be cautious and courteous. Also, we have no alternative, but to share the sidewalk. Just as you share the road with cars. So instead of sending us bikers on the road why don’t you go walk on the road? Use your brain, please.
NYC doesn’t allow ebikes or any motorized vehicles on the side walks.beccause of lawsuits and injuries to pedestrians.
People walk on Fort Myers Beach for the exercise and enjoyment. So, WHY then, do they have to worry about a bike(s) coming up behind them, and then, have to literally jump OFF the sidewalk, to avoid getting hit??! Also, people with a hearing impairment can’t just “take their earbuds out!!!!!” I’ve BEEN on the sidewalk when bikes come flying up behind me and, frankly, it scares the crap out of you…..and, what about the young parents who are pushing strollers with other small children in tow??!
On Fort Myers Beach, you must stop your car, when you see pedestrians wanting to cross; so, why endanger them, to be in the path of a 15-20 mph “vehicle” on the sidewalk? The bikes should STAY on the provided bike lane and, drivers should be cognizant of THEM, just as they do for pedestrians waiting to cross. PERIOD.
Maybe because there’s no bike lanes past the red coconut? Everybody needs to use common sense and be safe and courteous. No matter what your mood of transportation you’re gonna have a very small few who will be dangerous. When there’s no traffic, we gladly will ride in the road.
Damn near got run over by 3 yesterday walking the sidewalk near Surf Style by Times Square. First biker said “right” next 2 didn’t say a thing. They came up from behind, didn’t see them coming…..
Oh well….Im 70 years old and it probably won’t happen again. Ride on😊
Warning to elderly strollers:
Danger Ahead!!
Time to stop pedestrian on sidewalks.
I think it is going to be very dangerous and increase accidents to allow e-bikes to ride on sidewalks, especially where there is also a lot of pedestrian congestion. That’s one of the challenges of this situation; where e-bikes would gain the most safety from the most cars, is generally the same stretch of roadway that is occupied with the most pedestrians. I think the safest solution for e-bikers and pedestrians would be to keep e-bikes in the bike lane and put pylons on the line that separates the bike lane from the car lane. It may not be the best looking solution, but it is probably the safest for all concerned.
There is no bike lanes north of red coconut.
Ebikes should be allowed on the sidewalks. There’s been too many bicyclists hit and killed or injured on the island. Have a speed limit for them on the sidewalk, if they go faster then ticket them.
100% Correct, e-bike or pedal, we need speed limits and not to worry about the type. What’s worse, an e bike at 6mph or a racing bike at 20mph. Speed and courtesy are the real issue.
Absolutely consider the fact that there is no bike lane. We all need to share. Can we do that? I would certainly hope so. For each bike, there’s one less car. The only way we get around this island is by our E bikes. Traffic is at a standstill every day. And sometimes it’s not practical to walk two or 3 miles.
So instead of someone on an e bike getting injured by a car…it would be better to have a pedestrian on a side walk injured by an e bike rider.
Everybody needs to be cautious and courteous. You can’t let a few ruin it for everybody. If that’s the case since there’s been car accident accidents, we should ban cars. Since several golf carts have flipped over we should ban Golf Cart.
Eh! God bless y’all in power now dealing with the cluster of an inept planning commission! You NEED a designated paved bike path! I don’t care where you get it from (on beach or the south side of the street or where ever!). The car traffic is FMB is a cluster! Always has, always will be! Marco has 2 lanes…until you get that traffic will always be an issue!❤️
I love how some e-bike riders admit they know it’s illegal to ride on the sidewalk but want to let us know they are special and can justify why they can break the rules. Just buy a regular bike and get some exercise.
Listen, Linda….Many of us e-bikers ARE getting exercise on an Ebike because certain parts of our bodies don’t work for a regular bike. Just know we are trying to exercise and get fresh air and get places instead of sitting in a vehicle. And we are very very conscious of pedestrians and other bikers as well as our own safety.
Because there’s no bike lane please get that through your head. Give us a bike Lane and we will gladly ride on it. Otherwise, we are sharing the sidewalk with you. Like it or not.
Doesn’t make sense for bikes to be on the “right” of walkers. Standard practice for shared multi-modal paths is for bikes to pass on the left after signaling by bell and/or vocal “On your left.”
I hope people agree with Ray the committee go5bthis backwards.
The town or county needs to put the pylons up along the paint lines which designate the bike lane (same pylons that are in the alternating stop light area on Old San Carlos). This will help to keep cars out of the bike lanes
Goood idea!!
I have had an e-bike on FMB since 2021. They can be dangerous but it is the rider not the bike. I installed a bell, island regulation, to alert pedestrians. Pedestrians also need to be alert and keep an ear open. So many times I ring my bell and the pedestrian has no clue of their surroundings. Take an earbud out. The road is dangerous, the trucks with extended mirrors are always hovering above the bike lane. So bikers are pushed to the sidewalk. Everyone needs to be safe.
Exactly.
This is not a well thought out recommendation. There is NO way that the sidewalk can be shared with a motorized vehicle of any kind that goes 20 or 28mph per hour without somebody getting hurt. Could/should FMB limit speed if 20 or 28 mph is too fast (and it is. In some spots 25 mph is the road speed !)? And pedestrians walking street side so that they have no where to go other than into the street to get out of harm’s way is a good recommendation – the sidewalk goes to the curb in some places especially from Red Coconut to Times Square. If a portion of the sidewalk is 4 feet wide, then you’re allowing 1.2 feet or 14.4 inches for bike passage? This would be a tremendous effort to education our visitors coming from areas that no bikes are allowed on sidewalks let alone e-bikes. Finally no bikes riding – manual(?) on congested areas was a reason for allowing e-bikes on sidewalks for those who are no longer able to ride a manual bike. Lastly, what about the other motorized conveyances – scooters, skateboards, razor scooters, etc.
Speed limits and pedal assist only, man.
First of all, it’s almost impossible to go that fast on the sidewalk this is a nice announcement with the dips that allow cars to turn. Second of all. A car can go 150 miles an hour. But obviously you follow the speed limit or less. The speed limit downtown is 25 miles an hour, but obviously if it’s congested, you go less. You can’t let a few unsafe people make the rules for all of us. Those of us that live on the island depend on our bikes to get up and down the road to the grocery store, etc.. There are no bike lanes north of the red coconut. You have bad actors and cars. You have bad actors on the golf carts the two worst accidents I’ve seen since I’ve lived here in eight years, have involve golf carts drive and miraculously flipping over and seriously injuring the occupants.
Of course nobody should go 28 miles an hour on the sidewalk. Nobody should go over 6 miles an hour on the sidewalk. Cars can go 150 miles an hour so do you assume every car is doing 150.
E-bikes are dangerous on side walks they need a dedicated path!Keep pedestrians and bikers separate.
That’s the problem. There’s no bike path north of the red coconut that’s why we all must share what we have.
Thank you, Dawn, for making this recommendation. I bought an e-bike to get back and forth to work due to the traffic. I purchased the bike because before Christmas, it was stated that they were allowed on the sidewalks. Then, about a month later, it was posted that was incorrect. I continue to ride my e-bike on the sidewalk due to the danger it is to ride in the bike lane. On my way home from Santini last week, at least 30% of the vehicles were riding the bike lane. I too am very respectful of pedestrians and other bikes. When possible, I will go into the bike lane to go around pedestrians. If I can’t, I alert the pedestrian that I am passing on their left/right, and I do not pedal past them. I stop pedaling until I pass them. Just like many drivers, there are those that are not respectful of others. As part of the rule, I would suggest that all e-bike riders need to be licensed drivers since it is a motorized vehicle.
Exactly and we’re not gonna be penalized for a small group of people that are reckless. As they are the same rather their jaywalking riding a golf cart, which happened to be the two worst accidents I’ve seen in the nine years. I’ve lived here and the people were hurt pretty bad. They were rejected from the golf carts from driving recklessly.
I almost got hit by a vehicle while riding on the road. I will not ride on the road anymore. I am very respectful of pedestrians while riding on the sidewalk. The sidewalk should be shared. It is not safe riding a bicycle on the road.
Good point when riding down the bike lane south of the red coconut trucks flyby as we know many pick up trucks are pulling trailers so their mirrors stand extra far from their cab and I can’t count the times where I’ve been run off the friggin road by those guys our bike lane is dangerous
I’ve ridden E bikes for seven years now they should not be on the sidewalks on Estero Boulevard.
Then where should they be? Lol many of us, locals rely on our bikes to go to the grocery store or any place else. There are no bike lanes north of red coconut.
Ride in the traffic lane. Since the speed limit is 25 on the road the e-bikes can keep up and be just like a motorcycle.
Exactly
Absolutely when the traffic‘s moving I’d rather be in the road.
Please don’t allow your lack of ability to ride an E bike safely affect those of us who are able to ride safely and courtesy