VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – The Volusia County Council introduced a proposal Tuesday to allow electric and other motorized vehicles on certain parts of the beach.
Council leaders suggested allowing use of electric bikes, one-wheel scooters and the like to operate in designated spots by the beach.
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The county’s code currently allows cars, trucks, motorcycles on drivable portions of the beach as long as they are registered and titled by the state. Since e-bikes, electric scooters and similar vehicles can’t be registered with the state of Florida, they currently can’t drive on beaches under the county ordinance.
County leaders pointed to recent state legislation that gives e-bike and electric scooter operators the same rights as bicyclists. As bikes are allowed on the beach, the council figured it would be appropriate to extend the same rights to similar motorized devices as well, according to a news release.
Under the suggested proposal, such electric and motorized vehicles would be allowed to operate both in the driving lanes and outside of the lanes as well as in the traffic-free zones outside of the natural areas. The devices wouldn’t be permitted in the dunes or the natural, or conservation areas of the beach that are off-limits to vehicles in order to continue protecting endangered species as required by the county’s habitat management plan, according to Volusia County codes.
As proposed, e-bikes and other electric motorized devices would be permitted as long as they follow all other vehicle regulations such as speed and times of day for use on the beach.
The proposal must come back to the council for a vote at a later time to make an ordinance amendment official, which would finalize the policy.