By Coral Gables Gazette staff
Coral Gables’ campaign to make its streets and sidewalks safer for pedestrians hit a setback last week when Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed legislation that city leaders had hoped would give local governments stronger statewide tools to regulate electric bicycles and other micromobility devices.
In February, the Coral Gables City Commission voted unanimously to prohibit the use of electric bicycles on city sidewalks, part of a broader effort to address the growing number of high-speed micromobility devices sharing space with pedestrians in the city’s busiest commercial districts. The action reflected the city’s continuing effort to embrace new transportation options while balancing safety concerns in its walkable downtown.
At the time, city staff told commissioners they would continue working with Coral Gables’ lobbying team in Tallahassee to pursue additional statewide safety measures governing electric bicycles and similar devices. While lawmakers ultimately approved one of those proposals, DeSantis vetoed the bill before it could become law.
A statewide bill dies in Tallahassee
Senate Bill 382 would have prohibited riders from traveling faster than 10 mph when within 50 feet of a pedestrian, created a statewide Micromobility Device Safety Task Force to recommend future regulations and required more detailed reporting of crashes involving micromobility devices.
Why the governor rejected it
In his veto message, DeSantis said the bill’s 50-foot pedestrian buffer would be nearly impossible for riders to judge while operating a bicycle. He also expressed concern that enforcing the speed limit could require expanded speed-detection technology or surveillance and questioned creating a state task force without a specified expiration date.
The city says the effort isn’t over
Despite the setback, Coral Gables officials say the city has no intention of backing away from the issue.
“While we respect the state’s decision to veto SB 382, the City of Coral Gables remains committed to improving safety for everyone who uses our streets, sidewalks, and shared public spaces,” Parking, Sustainability and Mobility Services Director Monica Beltran said.
Beltran said city officials remain particularly concerned about the operation of electric bikes and other micromobility devices in the downtown, where pedestrians, businesses and visitors all compete for limited sidewalk space.
“Our focus is on finding practical, balanced solutions that encourage responsible use while protecting pedestrian safety,” she said, adding that the city will continue evaluating educational outreach, operating standards, minimum age requirements and other local safety initiatives while working with state and local partners.
A push for a minimum riding age
That commitment was reinforced during a recent meeting of the Coral Gables Waterfront Communities HOA Board, where members received an update on the governor’s veto and urged Mayor Vince Lago to bring new safety measures before the City Commission, including establishing a minimum riding age of 16 and expanding public education efforts.
Balancing new mobility with pedestrian safety
The debate reflects Coral Gables’ broader philosophy toward emerging transportation technologies. City officials have expanded mobility options over the past several years through trolleys, Freebee on-demand vehicles, shared scooters and other alternatives intended to reduce automobile dependence. At the same time, commissioners have emphasized that innovation cannot come at the expense of pedestrian safety, particularly in the city’s dense downtown and historic neighborhoods.
Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson has frequently warned that sidewalks should remain first and foremost for pedestrians, arguing during previous commission discussions that city infrastructure must be designed so people with disabilities, parents pushing strollers and other pedestrians are not forced into the street by new mobility devices.
Residents have echoed those concerns. During February’s commission meeting, Coral Gables resident Maria Cruz voiced strong support for the sidewalk ban, telling commissioners that people living near the University of Miami regularly witness students rushing to class on electric bikes. Riders, she said, often travel so quickly that pedestrians must “look both ways and sometimes look again because the electric bikes do not look. They just go fast.”
For Coral Gables, the governor’s veto may have delayed additional statewide regulation, but city leaders say their effort to find a measured balance between embracing new mobility options and protecting pedestrians is far from over.
