Talk of The Villages Florida - Motorized vehicles on the walking/bike trails

Talk of The Villages Florida (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/)

- The Villages, Florida, General Discussion (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/)

- - Motorized vehicles on the walking/bike trails (https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/villages-florida-general-discussion-73/motorized-vehicles-walking-bike-trails-342136/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2228309)

I guess maybe you just didn't "research" the topic as thoroughly as you thought you did. I did a single google search just now:

"fast e-bikes" and came up with page after page of websites. Here's one at the top of the first page:

https://www.makeuseof.com/fastest-ebikes-for-sale/

The law requires that they get shipped with a limiter to 20mph in Florida. But you can disable the limiter, and some bike manufacturers will provide a method to disable it and give you printed instructions.

My concern is - a golf cart - in order to be legally considered a golf cart, with no registration, license, or insurance required, may not go in excess of 20 mph in Florida. If it goes between 20 and 25mph, it must be registered, you must have a drivers license to drive it, and it has to be insured. At that point it is called an LSV, no longer a golf cart. It is street legal.

An e-bike has no such restrictions. It has to be shipped to you with the limiter so it can't go over 20mph, but you can disable that and use the motor to propel you at speeds greater than 25mph - with no pedal assist necessary. It functions as an electric-powered moped. And yet - mopeds have to be registered, and you have to be licensed to drive one. E-bikes that are set to go faster (without pedal assist necessary) than 25 do not. In addition, the posted speed limit for most of The Villages is 20. Not 25, not 28. 20.

The posted speed limit for MMPs is 20. Not 25, not 28. No one should be driving or riding ANYTHING faster than 20mph on an MMP. The fact that so many e-bikes can, and do, with or without pedal assist, makes them incredibly dangerous.

I think that e-bikes should have some restrictions.

Where does the law say e-bikes must be limited to 20mph to be shipped/sold in Florida?

Where is any 20mph limit posted on the MMPs? (I have seen none)

Quote:

Originally Posted by NoMo50 (Post 2228164)

Nice try, but you don't get to put spin on a state statute and make it appear to say something it doesn't. Florida statutes specifically exempt bicycles and electric bicycles from the definition of a motor vehicle. It really is just that simple.

Correct! I also looked up the Florida statute myself..E-bikes are treated as standard pedal bikes.

Signage on all paths is the answer. Depending on where you lived before you came to the villages, your vision of what is correct on the paths will always differ. Your decision making is based on what you have seen in other cities. We need to set our own standards in the villages and stop keeping this a guessing game.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2228309)

They do.

Any electric bikes that go faster than 20mph without pedaling are prohibited in the state of Florida. As I said in my first post, anything that goes faster than 20mph without pedaling is not an ebike or has been illegally modified. I did not use the word "illegally" in my first post.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2227657)

It has been "only a matter of time" for at least three years now.

I have never been passed by an e-bike while in my golf cart. I think there was actually one time I was behind an e-bike traveling close to 20mph. Every other time I have encountered an e-bike it has been traveling less than 17mph (the speed at which I decide to pass a slower vehicle). What area has the 23+mph e-bikes?

My opinion: Forget banning things. Treat e-bikes as bicycles (as I believe Florida law does). Expect/demand that all users of the trails behave/operate safely.

Yeah, like demanding good behavior has ever worked on anything anywhere. I agree e-bikes are a new hazzard both to the mostly overweight untrained rider and the people they are zig zagging around, and should not be on the paths where walkers are present. It will take a few tragic incidents and injuries to change this. Also I was in a line of 4 golf carts and we were all passed by an e-bike going at least 25mph. They definitely have models capable of that.

It makes no sense that the reason you can’t cross Rolling Acres Rd. is because the speed limit is 35 MPH. You can't cross any road with a golf cart that is 35 mph or higher.

The only exception I know is up by Spruce Creek South where you can cross 441. This doesn't make sense because that is Lake County and so is Spanish Springs but you can’t cross 441 to get to the historic side, you have to use that way to narrow the bridge.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill14564 (Post 2228342)

Where does the law say e-bikes must be limited to 20mph to be shipped/sold in Florida?

Where is any 20mph limit posted on the MMPs? (I have seen none)

Speed limit in all of the Villages is 20mph unless otherwise posted. I don't know of any MMP in the community that has any posting of any other speed limit.

Are You Up to Speed on the E-Bike Law in Florida? - Bicycle Accident Lawyer | The Florida Bike Guy

Also I found the reference I'd asked about previously, to CPSA. It's the Consumer Product Safety Act. I found the snippet here:

Why is There a 20 MPH Speed Limit on Electric Bikes in USA?.

Quote:

Why is There a 20 MPH Speed Limit on Electric Bikes in USA?
The 20mph speed limit on electric bikes in USA is a result of the Consumer Product Safety Act, which was passed in 2002. This act put into place a number of safety regulations for consumer products, including electric bikes. One of the act's main provisions was that electric bikes could not exceed 20mph on level ground.

Three-Class System to Describe Electric Bikes
In order to understand the 20mph speed limit, it is first important to understand how electric bikes are classified. In the US, there are three classes of electric bikes:

Class 1 e-bike: These bikes have a motor that provides assistance only when pedaling. The motor must cut off at 20mph.

Class 2 e-bike: These bikes have a throttle-operated motor that can be used without pedaling. The motor must cut off at 20mph.

Class 3 e-bike: These bikes have a motor that provides assistance only when pedaling, and the motor is allowed to go up to 28mph.

Why the CPSA Imposes a 20mph Speed Limit on Electric Bikes in USA
There are a number of reasons why the CPSA imposes a 20mph speed limit on electric bikes in USA.

1) Safety Measures:
The CPSA (Consumer Product Safety Act) states that electric bikes must not exceed 20 mph to be considered a consumer product. If electric bicycles were to go any faster, they would be considered motor vehicles and have to meet different safety standards. The CPSA imposes a 20mph speed limit on electric bikes in order to protect consumers from injury. Electric bikes that go faster than 20mph can pose a danger to riders, as they are more likely to lose control and crash. In addition, faster electric bikes are also more likely to overheat, which can lead to fires and injuries. By imposing a speed limit on electric bikes, the CPSA ensures that these products are safe for consumers.

Also again, that's not really the point. The point is, you aren't allowed to exceed the 20mph speed limit on MMPs or anywhere else in the Villages, unless otherwise posted. If they're going faster than 20mph on an MMP, near a rec center, in every "Villa" area I've been into so far, on any sidewalk or non-motor-vehicle path, then they are violating the rules.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2228450)

Speed limit in all of the Villages is 20mph unless otherwise posted. I don't know of any MMP in the community that has any posting of any other speed limit.

....

Also again, that's not really the point. The point is, you aren't allowed to exceed the 20mph speed limit on MMPs or anywhere else in the Villages, unless otherwise posted. If they're going faster than 20mph on an MMP, near a rec center, in every "Villa" area I've been into so far, on any sidewalk or non-motor-vehicle path, then they are violating the rules.

The only posted 20mph speed limits I have seen are on streets. I have seen a few 10mph signs on the MMP (particularly the Lake Sumter bridge) but I don't recall ever seeing a 20mph sign on an MMP. But beyond signage, it has been stated many times that no one has traffic enforcement authority on the MMP. If there is no enforcement on the MMP then there are effectively no speed limits on the MMPs.

As far as e-bikes are concerned, the article you posted and the article it links to contradict themselves. After stating there are three classes of e-bikes with the highest being allowed to assist up to 28mph, it then goes on to say that the CPSA imposes a limit of 20mph. So which is it, are class 3 e-bikes allowed to assist up to 28mph or is there a 20mph limit imposed?

But yes, if a bicycle (e-bike or standard) is exceeding the posted speed limit on a roadway then they are violating the law and could be ticketed.