E-bikes have quickly gone from novelty to neighborhood flashpoint in downtown DeLand, and city leaders are now getting ready to weigh in. City commissioners are scheduled this week to consider new micromobility rules that would explicitly ban electric bicycles from downtown sidewalks and require helmets for riders younger than 18. The proposals, prompted by merchant complaints and safety concerns from police, are on the City Commission’s regular meeting agenda for 7 p.m. tonight at City Hall, with a public discussion expected before any ordinance language moves forward.
Merchants, diners raise safety concerns
Downtown business owners say e-bikes have become a recurring hazard on the narrow sidewalks where people stroll and sit down to eat. With tables and pedestrians already crowding the space, they argue that fast-moving bikes are a bad fit.
Tony’s New York Pizza owner Johnny Kadriu told ClickOrlando he regularly spots riders using the sidewalks and that the behavior is “very, very, very hard to do business.” Other downtown merchants have raised similar complaints about close calls and near misses, feeding the push for clearer rules.
Police press for clearer rules and easier enforcement
The DeLand Police Department has urged commissioners to spell out that e-bikes are included in the list of devices already banned from downtown sidewalks and to add a helmet requirement for riders under 18, saying the current language leaves officers with limited options.
“We want to ensure people aren’t riding e-bikes in the downtown area on sidewalks,” Deputy Chief Adam Kisthardt told ClickOrlando. Department leaders have also suggested using fines rather than arrests for many violations as they shift from mostly warnings to stricter enforcement.
State law is reshaping the local debate
At the same time, the Florida Legislature is working on broader micromobility rules that could reshape how local governments and police manage e-bikes. Senate Bill 382 would require e-bike riders to yield to pedestrians, create a micromobility safety task force, and, notably, prohibit an electric bicycle from exceeding 10 miles per hour when a pedestrian is within 50 feet, according to the Florida Senate.
What happens next in DeLand
City commissioners plan to take up the proposals at their regular session in the Commission Chambers at City Hall, 120 S. Florida Avenue, at 7 p.m. Monday, with agendas posted online in advance. Depending on how that debate goes, the commission could approve specific ordinance language, send the measures back to staff for redrafting, or schedule follow-up hearings to draw more public feedback.
Legal and enforcement notes
If state changes such as those in SB 382 become law, they would affect how local rules are enforced. The bill text includes provisions that would reclassify certain higher-powered two-wheelers and would require licensing and new crash-reporting rules for some types of e-bikes. That means any downtown ban in DeLand would roll out alongside evolving state definitions, speed limits, and reporting obligations spelled out in the bill.
For now, local enforcement tools and penalty levels would remain up to the city, unless the state later preempts or modifies those powers.
Commissioners are expected to hear public comment Monday night, and both business owners and safety advocates say they will be watching closely as DeLand decides whether to fold e-bikes into an existing downtown sidewalk prohibition or pursue a different mix of rules and penalties.
