Oviedo, Winter Springs' neighbor to the east, is scheduled to hold a public hearing Monday night on its first local rules for e-bikes, e-scooters and other small motorized devices, after its leaders said they could no longer wait for the state to act.
The City Council's regular meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5, and the micromobility ordinance is on that night's agenda for a public hearing, WKMG News 6 reported.
What the ordinance would do
As described in news coverage of the draft, the rules would:
- cap speeds at 10 mph on sidewalks and shared-use paths
- give pedestrians the right of way, requiring riders to yield to people on foot
- allow the city to bar the devices from some public places, including parks
- ban riders from wearing headphones or earbuds, with an exception for hearing aids and similar devices
- require riders under 16 to wear a bicycle helmet, which state law already requires
Penalties would rise with repeat violations. WESH 2, citing the draft, reported that a first offense could bring a warning or a fine of up to $50, a second within 12 months up to $100, and a third or later offense within that window up to $250.
Oviedo Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley told the council in September that enforcement would be civil, not criminal, and that officers were more likely to respond to specific complaints than to patrol sidewalks at random. The ordinance also includes an education campaign.
Why Oviedo is moving now
A statewide bill that would have set a 10 mph e-bike limit near pedestrians on sidewalks passed the Legislature but was vetoed in June by Gov. Ron DeSantis, leaving cities to write their own rules.
