Orange County discusses e-scooter, e-bike ordinance

Colton Remsburg, 13, left his home on his e-scooter on Mother’s Day to buy his mother, Ashley Lachance, flowers. 

He never made it back home. 

During the Orange County Board of County Commissioners meeting Tuesday, May 19, Lachance urged the board to enforce roadway safety alongside educational material for parents, children, teens and adults. 

“One thing that has really weighed on me is everything circulating on social media and the news right now suggesting that parents simply are not educating their children enough about the dangers of these motorized vehicles,” she said. “That narrative is both insensitive and negligent because when tragedy happens, everyone looks for someone to blame. The reality is, there’s nobody to blame. … I would be willing to bet that every parent has sat down with their child more than once and reminded them, ‘Wear your helmet, use the crosswalk, stay on the sidewalk, pay attention to cars and look both ways.’ I know I did. I constantly reminded Colton to be safe. I would even text him every morning asking him did he make it to school safely.” 

Lauren Torres, senior project manager for the county’s transportation planning division, said e-bike injuries have doubled each year from 2017 to 2022; e-scooter injuries increased by 45% from 2017 to 2022; and children under 14 years of age account for 34% of injuries nationwide.

Moreover, it is estimated about 11,800 students now are using micro-mobility devices to get to and from school. 

The goal is to get an ordinance and educational components in place before the start of school. 

Orange County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael Crabb said law enforcement is finalizing a draft ordinance, which soon will be presented to the commission. 

Currently, Crabb said officers are restricted in terms of enforcement options. Although citations can be written for state violations, they leave a permanent record, which is not the goal for law enforcement. 

Instead, the Sheriff’s Office’s draft ordinance proposes the ability to impound electric devices, revoke its ability to be ridden on sidewalks, enforce a countywide speed limit as well as implement enforcement of reckless activities, similar to parking tickets. Parents would receive citations for their child’s continuous reckless behavior. 

Although the ordinance almost is ready to be sent to Orange County, District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson said it will take a couple of months before the community sees an approved ordinance. 

In addition to the ordinance, Torres said the transportation planning division also is recommending public education campaigns, a safety and infrastructure study, regional policy framework and potential regulatory provisions. 

Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said some pieces of the proposal still require research, giving the transportation planning division until August to come back with more data. 

“We want to do it right,” he said. “I want our staff to have adequate time to be able to do it.”