Over the past few weeks, several videos, like this one, have been posted on Nextdoor by residents of unincorporated Orange County, Hamlin, Horizon West and Winter Garden illustrating a dangerous reality we are now experiencing on a regular basis: groups of young teen moped and e-bike drivers taking over full travel lanes, weaving unpredictably through traffic and creating hazardous conditions for everyone on the road. This behavior not only puts these young riders in unsafe and volatile situations, it also endangers drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians who have no way to anticipate or safely navigate around them.
Furthermore, this crisis infringes on the basic rights of all Orange County residents. Our neighborhood sidewalks and bike trails — spaces designed for recreation and safe transit — have become places of fear and intimidation. Residents can no longer walk, run or cycle without the constant threat of being struck from behind by these high‑speed vehicles, operated by students who have never been taught how to do so safely.
After 15 months of continuous advocacy, a year‑long Change.org petition and multiple news interviews, I am relieved this issue is finally gaining traction. Winter Garden is considering a safety ordinance that mandates helmets, bike lights and imposes penalties for speeding, among other things. The county is also working on a local ordinance, and there is Senate Bill 382, sponsored by State Sen. Keith Truenow, of District 13, with a companion bill sponsored by State Reps. Yvette Benarroch and Kim Kendall, that will be taken up when the Legislature starts its session Jan. 13.
I must be unequivocally clear here: we are now at a crisis point in Orange County regarding e-bikes, and I believe a policy that simply bans these vehicles from being driven to and from school, as some on the Orange County School Board and Board of County Commissioners have suggested, will not solve the problem…