OVIEDO, Fla. – Oviedo has become the first city in Seminole County to establish local rules for e-bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices. City leaders say the ordinance is designed to make travel safer for riders and pedestrians as these devices grow more popular.
City commissioners approved the measure Monday, setting speed limits for e-bikes and e-scooters throughout Oviedo, including on sidewalks.
Mayor Megan Sladek said the regulations are intended to create clearer guidelines, particularly as more young people turn to e-bikes and scooters for transportation.
“I have been a big bike rider for over a decade and now that we’ve got so many young people joining the bike riding craze, we’ve got to have some common courtesy sort of solidified so we know who’s got priority on the sidewalks,” Sladek said.
Florida law classifies e-bikes as micromobility devices, alongside traditional bicycles and motorized scooters. The law recognizes three e-bike classes, all of which feature pedals and motors producing less than 750 watts.
[WATCH: Oviedo commissioners to vote on e-bike, e-scooter restrictions]
Oviedo’s ordinance preserves those state classifications but adds city-specific requirements. E-bike and scooter riders may travel no faster than 15 mph on sidewalks and must reduce their speed to 10 mph when approaching pedestrians.
The measure also establishes consequences for repeated violations. When a rider under 18 repeatedly breaks the rules, the resulting fines could be assigned to the rider’s parents.
Sladek said she hopes Oviedo’s regulations will provide a framework for other Seminole County municipalities as the use of e-bikes and scooters continues to expand.
“I really hope so,” Sladek said when asked whether other cities might follow Oviedo’s lead. “We need to have some sort of uniform understanding between cities because the whole point of these is it lets you go farther, and none of the cities in Seminole County are that big. So we’re going to bleed over, other cities are going to come here. And I want to make sure that everybody is on the same page with how we use our sidewalks and our roads.”
The new requirements apply only inside Oviedo’s city limits. They do not cover the Cross Seminole Trail, which is managed by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. The agency said it is emphasizing education rather than enforcement on the trail.
