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GOVERNMENT

Ocoee passes e-bike, e-scooter ordinance

With Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoing statewide e-bike safety regulations in June, it’s up to cities to put their own safety measures in place. On Tuesday, the Ocoee City Commission did just that, voting 4-0 to approve a new ordinance to regulate operation of e-bikes, e-scooters, skateboards and other small motorized vehicles. Commissioner Richard Firstner of District 3 was absent.

Winter Garden adopted its own e-bike ordinance in December 2025. Orange County is also drafting an ordinance. In addition, the Orange County School Board is considering prohibiting e-bikes and e-scooters at K-8 schools for the coming school year, according to WKMG-News 6.

Collectively known as “micromobility devices,” these electric bikes and scooters have been hailed for helping to reduce traffic and carbon emissions by getting cars off the roads and giving kids without drivers licenses a faster way to school.

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Ocoee Police Chief Vince Ogburn said during the commission meeting that not only had there had been a “huge uptick” in e-bike and e-scooter use in the city, but in what he described as “prohibited acts,” such as racing, wheelies and other stunt riding on public roads; tearing up parks, private lawns or environmentally sensitive areas; and biking or riding while impaired.

Ogburn added that since October the city has had 8 “incidents” that involved a micromobility device.

E-bike and e-scooter related injuries have increased exponentially. Spectrum News 13 reported in June, before DeSantis vetoed the statewide e-bike bill, that Orange County emergency room visits for these micromobility device injuries had skyrocketed 273 percent between 2022 and 2025. More than half are experienced by those 19 and younger with most injuries occurring among 10 to 14-year-olds. Emergency rooms are typically seeing head, brain and facial injuries as well as broken arms and legs.

Ocoee’s new ordinance, which amends Chapter 153 in its city code, requires:

* Helmets for riders 16 and younger

* Prohibition on stunt riding (specifically “wheelies”); racing on public streets

* Prohibition on riding through wet, muddy, newly seeded areas in public parks or private yards

* Prohibition on towing micromobility devices by car

* Prohibition on carrying more riders than a vehicle is designed for

* Yielding to pedestrians and giving audible warnings when passing pedestrians

* Installing white front light, red rear light, rear reflector

* Adhering to 10 mph speed limit on sidewalks

* Obeying traffic signals and signs and moving with the flow of traffic on streets

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