Highland Beach's A1A Path Is Changing This Season: What the E-Bike Ban and New Crosswalk Lights Mean for Your Walk

Palm Beach County's proposed e-bike rule asks how fast a rider is going and how old they are. Delray Beach's commissioners have discussed an age minimum, helmets and limits in busy downtown areas. Highland Beach asks a single question about anything on its sidewalks and its A1A path: does it have a motor?

That choice, together with a state-funded repaving project and new in-ground lights at every crosswalk, gives the town's 3 miles of shared path a clear purpose for the season ahead. It is being returned to people on foot and on ordinary bicycles.

A Rule Built for the Path, Not the Rider

The ordinance has been in the works most of the year. When The Coastal Star reported on it July 1, it described the route as a 3-mile walking path "popular among walkers and people on non-motorized bicycles," and said Vice Mayor David Stern had led the town's concerns about electric bikes and other battery-powered vehicles using it. The holdup at that point was jurisdiction. The path sits within the State Road A1A right-of-way, and Town Attorney Len Rubin had written:

"The town could not enforce the ordinance or erect any signage warning operators of the prohibition without the approval and consent of FDOT."

By the September 1 Town Commission meeting, that obstacle was gone. According to the meeting minutes, Town Manager Marshall Labadie reported that the Florida Department of Transportation had no objection to the town creating and enforcing a motorized-vehicle rule on the path, provided the town gets sign permits for any posted signage.

The minutes also show how commissioners framed the issue. They named public safety as the main motivation, "particularly for the Town's older population of pedestrians, dog walkers, and families using the shared path during season." The county's e-bike ordinance came up as a possible model, but commissioners said they preferred "a simpler, more enforceable approach focused on the motorized versus non-motorized distinction rather than speed thresholds."

A speed limit only works if someone can judge the speed. A ban on motors can be enforced by looking. That difference explains the draft's form.

What the Draft Actually Says

The Town Attorney's draft, presented to the Commission for its October 20 meeting, would add a new Section 25-26 to the Town Code. It would make it unlawful to operate or ride a motor vehicle, a motorized scooter, an electric bicycle or any other motorized micromobility device on any sidewalk or multi-use pathway in town, "including the multi-use pathway located along or adjacent to State Road A1A."

The draft lists four exceptions:

1. Law enforcement officers, emergency responders and public safety personnel acting in their official duties.
2. Motorized wheelchairs and other mobility devices operated by persons with disabilities.
3. A motor vehicle briefly crossing the path to enter or exit a driveway.
4. Any covered device that is walked or carried rather than ridden under power.

Exception four matters most day to day. A resident can still walk an e-bike along the path to the beach access or to a neighbor's building. The rule covers riding under power.

Conventional bicycles are not affected. According to the September minutes, Rubin told the Commission that state statute generally allows bicycles wherever pedestrians may travel, so the town cannot meaningfully restrict them on the shared path. Its clear authority covers motorized vehicles.

The Town Attorney's October memo describes the penalties. A violation would be handled through a code citation, with a $50 fine for a first offense and $100 for repeat violations. Officers would keep discretion to issue a warning instead. Anyone cited could challenge it before the town's Special Magistrate, and if the citation is upheld, the Magistrate can set a fine of up to $500 and add administrative costs. The draft sets no minimum age for e-bike riders and no ID requirement.

Commissioners continued the discussion on October 20. A Citizen Portal summary of that meeting reported concerns about how practical enforcement would be, ID requirements for citations, signage, and a delayed effective date to allow time for public education. In September, the Commission had directed staff to prepare the ordinance for a first reading in November. It also planned outreach before then through the town's email blasts, the Manager's Monthly newsletter, The Coastal Star, and direct contact with condominium managers and the neighboring cities of Delray Beach and Boca Raton. If the ordinance is adopted, about 45 days would follow for sign installation and public education before it takes effect. According to Police Chief Craig Hartmann, enforcement would come mainly from officers on patrol, backed by signage.

Three Neighbors, Three Philosophies

Highland Beach's choice stands out because the jurisdictions around it are taking a different approach.

The county measure advanced on a preliminary 7–0 vote on October 20, CBS12 reported, and a public hearing and final vote are scheduled for December 1. The town memo notes that the county rule would apply in unincorporated areas and in municipalities that have transferred traffic authority to the Sheriff's Office. In Delray Beach, commissioners directed staff on October 6 to draft local rules, according to a Citizen Portal report on that meeting. The discussion included an age-16 minimum, helmets for younger riders and restrictions in high-pedestrian areas. Earlier this year, WFLX reported on riders describing unsafe encounters along A1A, including a Highland Beach resident.

The state does not set a sidewalk rule. The Coastal Star reported that in June, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill passed unanimously by both houses of the Legislature. It would have capped e-bikes at 10 mph on sidewalks when a pedestrian is within 50 feet, required an audible warning before passing on shared paths, and required helmets for riders under 16. That leaves local governments to set their own rules, and the stretch of A1A from Boca Raton through Delray Beach could end up with different rules a few blocks apart.

The Path Itself Is Getting Rebuilt

Alongside the ordinance, the town is rebuilding the path. A July 14 agenda memo records a $375,000 state appropriation received June 29, 2026. It covers milling, repaving and regrading the path, plus in-ground lighting at all of the SR A1A crosswalks. Lux Solar proposed the crosswalk-lighting work at $283,920. In the town's October Manager's Monthly, Labadie describes the project as townwide repaving with embedded lighting at each of the eight crosswalks, and credits Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman for helping secure the state funds.

The two projects fit together. A smoother surface and lit crossings help the people the ordinance is meant to protect: walkers, dog walkers and families crossing A1A to reach the beach, especially in the early dark of winter evenings. Many Highland Beach crossings link the condominium towers on the west side of A1A to beach clubs on the east, so lighting at the crosswalks lands where foot traffic crosses the highway.

Other projects listed in the same newsletter add to the picture. The Bel Lido Bridge rehabilitation is complete, and the town has secured a $1.29 million grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District toward a new Police and Fire Rescue marine docking facility on the Intracoastal. The police department also reminds boaters that the town is a year-round manatee zone.

Along the Path This Season

The path also connects the town's civic life, and several dates on it fall within walking distance:

• Thursday, November 12, 5:30 p.m.: Frankie B performs Sinatra family classics at the Highland Beach Library's concert series.
• Saturdays, 10:30 a.m.: The library's Current Events Discussion Group meets, and Toddler Time runs at the same hour.
• Thursday, December 3: Mingle Jingle returns to St. Lucy Catholic Church, through the town's partnership with Father Brian Horgan.

For oceanfront owners looking at the beach side of the path, the town's planning department notes that sea grapes block artificial light from turtle nesting beaches and are protected under Florida law. Trimming, adding or removing dune vegetation may require a permit from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, which offers consultations at [email protected].

The ordinance details above summarize public drafts and memos and may change before adoption. This post is general information, not legal advice, so please confirm specifics with the Town of Highland Beach or a qualified professional.

Michelle can walk you through how the path, the crosswalks and the beach-club crossings work from any building on A1A, whether you are settling back in for the season or comparing towers. Michelle Sadownick would be glad to show you on foot. Schedule a Private Consultation.