Martin County MPO Backs $300M Road Widening, Wrestles With E-bike Chaos

The Martin County Metropolitan Planning Organization approved a five-year, $300 million transportation blueprint Tuesday — but complaints about reckless e-bike riders, not road funding, consumed the sharpest debate of the morning.

The draft Transportation Improvement Program, which anchors the SR 710 widening project, passed unanimously alongside a $26,975 state grant for transportation disadvantaged services and a $55,000 congestion management study for U.S. 1 south of the Roosevelt Bridge. The five-year plan maps the largest single infrastructure investment the region's transportation planners will manage this decade.

Before the board voted, a quieter confrontation played out over a Jensen Beach Elementary sidewalk. Commissioner Reid arrived at the meeting armed with 26 resident petitions opposing a federal Safe Routes to School grant the MPO had already approved. Reid signaled he wanted to rescind that vote, then never formally made the motion. Other commissioners held firm, citing backing from both the Citizens Advisory Committee and the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee. "We're talking about child safety here and the schools have made it clear that they feel that it's needed," Commissioner Campy said, noting the competitive nature of the federal grant.

The e-bike discussion cut deeper. Lt. Roscoe of the Martin County Sheriff's Office told the board his agency fields complaints every single day — juveniles throwing wheelies on major roadways, riders pulling on full-face helmets specifically to dodge identification, and property damage accumulating along popular bike corridors. The sheriff's office has deployed drone surveillance on weekends and towed six illegal e-motorcycles during a single recent weekend.

Commissioner Campy called e-bike violations "probably the number one issue" he faces from constituents. The Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee offered a framework: a three-class system with age floors — Class 1 e-bikes for riders 11 and older, Classes 2 and 3 restricted to riders 16 and older — combined with under-18 helmet requirements, a 12 mph speed cap on sidewalks and mandatory lighting. The board expressed interest in mirroring Jupiter Island's ordinance, which requires a minimum age of 16 and a valid ID to operate any e-bike.

No formal e-bike ordinance was adopted Tuesday. The board also approved the final Unified Planning Work Program for fiscal years 2027-2028. A $2.5 million roadway project funded jointly by Derecktor Fort Pierce, LLC, and the Florida Department of Transportation was reflected in public records tied to the MPO's broader program review.

The MPO's next scheduled meeting is the next step toward any formal e-bike regulatory action.

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