Florida Senate Passes Bill for Municipal E-Scooter Regulation

FLORIDA – According to an online news report posted at thedestinlog.com, the Florida Senate passed a bill for regulation of e-scooters at the municipal level. The bill would allow city governments to place regulations on the vehicles in the same manner as bicycles. E-scooters would be able to travel on the roadways inside of bike lanes, if the bill becomes law.*

The bill, called House Bill 453, would place e-scooters into relatively the same category as bicycles and give municipalities the chance to regulate them like bikes. Rep. Jackie Toledo sponsored the bill, and it has already also cleared the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

“The bill, in my opinion, is a very good bill,” said Rep. Mel Ponder. “The bill mainly does a couple things: It defines what a scooter technically is and also says they have some rights.”

Current laws in Florida prevent vehicles that cannot travel at least 30 mph from traveling on the road. This means e-scooters, which cannot travel 30 mph, have to be on sidewalks. Their presence on sidewalks has angered many Florida residents and raised concerns about the safety of both riders and pedestrians. 

House Bill 453 changes the minimum capable speed for vehicles on the road to 20 mph. Many e-scooters can reach 20 mph, which would allow them to travel on the road instead of on sidewalks. Ponder said the bill makes sense because it preserves the benefits of scooters while eliminating some safety issues. 

“We’re so congested with traffic anyway,” Ponder said. “This is much faster than walking, but it will definitely provide tourists and guests another legal way to get around town.” 

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Source:https://www.thedestinlog.com/news/20190502/scooter-bill-would-allow-micromobility-devices-onto-road