DUNEDIN, Fla. — The Popularity of the Pinellas Trail is growing for walkers, cyclists, e-bike and e-scooter users. Safety concerns are growing, too.
“I enjoy it,” said Christoper Jeter. “The walk is awesome. It’s normally sunny and nice.”
Jeter is out on the Dunedin portion of the trail daily, along with 1,741 others, like Ken Carson.
“It’s a great trail.”
Carson is an e-bike user. He got it three years ago, so he can enjoy the sites and get a workout in.
“It’s a great outlet for people to come out and relax.”
Dunedin commissioners addressed e-bikes and e-scooter safety at their last meeting. They have had several complaints about speeding on the trail, and other parts of town.
“The speed limit is 20, but the bikes go a little faster than 20,” Jeter said. “I’ve been nudged in the arm once from someone riding by.”
“This is an issue, and it’ll change. When some bad accident happens,” Mayor Moe Freaney said during the meeting. “And it’s gonna happen.”
We did some digging. According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, e-bikes and e-scooter injuries increased 21% in 2022. They said there has been a slight in crease crashes involving pedestrians.
Dunedin leaders and others concerned want to make changes now before a really bad accident happens here.
Locals we talked to suggested lowering the speed limit on the trail, putting up more signs, having deputies do more patrols, or putting all e-bikes and e-scooters on one side. Some even suggested banning them on the trail.
Banning them might not be an option, because the state defines e-bikes as a traditional bike. They might be able to put safety restrictions in place for e-bikes and e-scooters like other trails in the state have.
Carson is worried about any kind of change.
“They’re going to mess up a good thing,” he said.
City leaders aren’t sure what to do, but this is something they will spend time looking into to find a solution that will make everyone safe on the Pinellas Trail and across the city.
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