Walton County Commissioners Push E-Bike Ordinance to July 28 Public Workshop
Walton County commissioners are moving forward with a public workshop on July 28 to address growing safety concerns about e-bikes and high-speed e-motorcycles on the Scenic Highway 30A corridor and multi-use trails across the county.
The discussion at the Board of County Commissioners’ July 14 meeting in DeFuniak Springs centered on the rising number of complaints from residents and visitors about riders speeding near pedestrians on shared paths. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office has reported increasing difficulty distinguishing between legal e-bikes and illegal e-motorcycles — electric dirt bikes and motor-driven cycles that are not permitted on roadways, sidewalks, or multi-use paths. The enforcement challenge is compounded by the fact that marked patrol cars with radar units are not practical on bike paths.
Commissioner Dan Curry, who represents District 1 and has been a vocal advocate for action, said at a June 3 workshop that stronger enforcement measures need to be considered. “I think the point of all of this is some type of enforcement,” Curry said. “What’s that gonna look like. And I don’t think we know what that enforcement observation is going to be.” Commissioner Donna Johns, representing District 4 in Miramar Beach where many of the 30A complaints originate, has also pushed for regulatory action. The county’s draft ordinance would amend the county code to regulate e-bike use, though specific provisions are still being refined based on community input and pending state legislation.
The issue has been percolating for over a year. The June 3 workshop at the South Walton Annex drew commissioners, law enforcement, riders, and residents to discuss solutions. Residents raised concerns about high-speed e-motos mixing with families and pedestrians on popular trails. The commission initially continued the ordinance to July 21, but that meeting was rescheduled to July 28 as part of a broader calendar adjustment.
The July 28 workshop begins at 1:00 p.m. at the South Walton Courthouse Annex, located at 31 Coastal Centre Boulevard in Santa Rosa Beach. County staff are expected to present stakeholder feedback, proposed speed-sign options for multi-use paths, and enforcement recommendations. Residents who cannot attend the workshop are encouraged to submit comments through the county’s online e-bike survey.
The outcome of the workshop could shape regulations that affect cyclists and pedestrians across all of Walton County. Any county-wide e-bike ordinance would apply to Freeport, where a 10-mile multi-use trail circles the Hammock Bay development and where cyclists regularly share roads with drivers along Highway 20 and US 331. For Freeport residents who bike or walk those paths, the speed limits, trail etiquette rules, and enforcement mechanisms the commission adopts will directly shape their daily experience.
Originally reported by Mid Bay News and WJHG Newschannel 7.
Image: WJHG Newschannel 7
