City officials ponder hoverboard prohibitions

ANNA MARIA – City officials are pursuing an ordinance that would prohibit riding bicycles, scooters, skateboards, hoverboards and Onewheel devices on Anna Maria beaches.

The proposed ordinance would impose additional restrictions in public parks.

City Attorney Becky Vose also is researching prohibiting hoverboards and Onewheels on Anna Maria streets.

Hoverboards are two-wheeled, electric-powered devices that resemble a Segway with no handlebars. Resembling a large skateboard, an electric-powered Onewheel contains one large wheel in the center. Riders of both types of devices stand upright while riding them.

When presenting proposed Ordinance 21-882 to city commissioners on Thursday, Jan. 14, Vose, said, “It expands what we prohibit on the beach to include hoverboards, skateboards or any other device with one or more wheels.”

According to the proposed ordinance that requires additional revisions and another first reading, “No person shall operate a bicycle, motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motor vehicle, hoverboard, skateboard, trailer or any other device with one or more wheels on any beaches or any coastal barrier sand dunes located within the city limits, except for small hand-pulled wagons, or walkers or wheelchairs for the mobility impaired.”

The proposed ordinance also says, “No person shall operate a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, motor vehicle, hoverboard, skateboard, trailer or any other device with one or more wheels in any parks located within the city limits, except for bicycles, small hand-pulled wagons, or walker or wheelchairs for the mobility impaired.”

In January 2020, the commission adopted a pier ordinance that prohibits bikes, scooters, skateboards and other devices on the new City Pier.

During last week’s discussion, Commission Chair Carol Carter referenced recent complaints from residents.

“We got the complaints from people who have private beach areas, like around Bean Point, about the hoverboards being out there,” she said.

Code Enforcement Manager Debbie Haynes referenced a photo of a man riding a Onewheel on a beach in Anna Maria.

Commissioner Mark Short asked if state law allows hoverboards to be operated on city streets.

He said he recently saw someone riding a hoverboard down the middle of North Shore Drive.

“It’s almost as bad as the golf carts that can’t go 15 mph. We have the opportunity if those are not covered under state law, to get those off the streets,” Short said.

“I saw a mother with a child on a hoverboard on North Shore. I couldn’t believe it, in the middle of the road,” Carter added.

Vose told the commission she has not found anything in state laws that specifically references hoverboards, but state law does address “electric personal assistive mobility devices” in a more generalized manner.

Citing Florida Statute 316.2068, Vose said, “A county or municipality may regulate the operation of electric personal assistive mobility devices on any road, street, sidewalk, or bicycle path under its jurisdiction if the governing body of the county or municipality determines that regulation is necessary in the interest of safety.”

Mayor Dan Murphy asked Vose to first provide him with the framework of a potential hoverboard prohibition so he can discuss potential enforcement and cost implications with Sgt. Brett Getman from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office’s Anna Maria Unit.

“If you’re gonna ban them, somebody’s got to enforce it and it’s going to be the sheriff’s department. We need their input as to, could they do it or not?” Murphy said.

According to F.S. 316.2068, electric personal assistive mobility devices can be operated on:

On a road or street where the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less.
On a marked bicycle path.
On any street or road where bicycles are permitted.
At an intersection, to cross a road or street even if the road or street has a posted speed limit of more than 25 miles per hour.
On a sidewalk, if the person operating the device yields the right-of-way to pedestrians and gives an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian.”

According to state law, a person under the age of 16 may not operate or ride an electric personal assistive mobility device without a properly fitted, securely fashioned bicycle helmet.