County approves E-Bike Ultimate

Call it Orange County’s Big Dig.

The Orange County Council this week approved a measure it hopes will solve the e-bike crisis in Central Florida. 

Eschewing more conventional ideas such as signs, fines and enforcement, county leaders voted to construct an intricate system of underground tunnels specifically for e-bike riders.

“We’ve tried asking nicely, we’ve tried education, and we’ve even tried police enforcement,” Council Member Bob Lewis said. “But it’s clear these kids — and their parents — have no plans to obey any existing traffic signs or laws. They’re reckless, and they’re a menace.”

Because the problem is most prevalent in West Orange and Southwest Orange, work will begin here later this year.

Leaders took inspiration from Boston’s famous Big Dig, which rerouted Interstate 93 underground. That project began in 1991 and took 16 years to complete.

The e-bike project, which county leaders are calling E-Bike Ultimate, will be much more complex, cost nearly $50 billion and likely will take much longer to complete.

The tunnels will be 10 feet wide with entrances and exits strategically placed throughout the county. LED Christmas lights will be strung throughout to illuminate the paths. Charging stations also are planned in case a rider runs out of battery while inside.

The goal: Make e-bikes, electric scooters and their riders invisible.

To help pay for construction, E-Bike Ultimate riders must purchase a toll pass similar to SunPass. 

“Let’s face it: No one likes these things,” Lewis said of e-bikes and electric scooters. “But we can’t ban ‘em, so the next best thing is to hide ‘em.”

Some parents raised concerns about having their children traveling in dark, secluded and isolated tunnels. 

To address that, council members had an easy solution.

“Buy them a normal bike,” Lewis said, laughing.

For more information about E-Bike Ultimate, click here.