Tampa leaders strike down proposal to curb dangerous biking on Riverwalk, Bayshore

TAMPA, Fla. - After more than an hour-long discussion with comments from nearly a dozen people, Tampa City Council members struck down a proposed ordinance that would have imposed restrictions on motorized and non-motorized vehicles on the Riverwalk and Bayshore Blvd.

The backstory:

For years, Tampa City Council members say they’ve received "an overwhelming number" of complaints from residents about large groups of bicyclists creating dangerous conditions on the Riverwalk and other popular trails.

Supporters of proposed rule changes say so-called bike gangs often swarm shared paths, ride at high speeds near pedestrians, and perform stunts that increase the risk of serious injury to others.

Tampa police officers who patrol the Riverwalk and Bayshore say existing ordinances limit what they can do when these situations arise, even when riders are behaving recklessly.

Council members said the goal was to give police clearer authority to intervene before someone gets hurt.

READ: Tampa high school students' bill on e-bike safety officially filed after losing classmate

The proposed would have updated he city's motorized and non-motorized vehicle ordinance to include:

• Reducing the speed limit for motorized vehicles on certain public
• Multi-use trails from 15 mph to 10 mph, prohibit "dangerous activities such as riding a bicycle on one wheel"
• Banning riders from traveling with more than two abreast

A first violation would have resulted in a warning. After that, tickets could have been issued in increments of $25, up to $75, for repeat offenders.

What they're saying:

At a meeting in November, Council Member Guido Maniscalco said witnessing one of these groups in person made the risks clear.

"All of a sudden it’s like 30 to 40 people popping wheelies going through areas. This is 7 p.m. on a Sunday. There’s kids, there’s elderly people, there’s families there, people on dates. It comes out of nowhere and they’re so close to folks that I’m thinking one head injury, one kid gets knocked over and slammed into the concrete. It’s just a matter of time because it’s so intense," said Maniscalco.

The other side:

Some residents and advocates have raised concerns that new rules could unfairly target cyclists or restrict access to public spaces.

"Limiting group sizes and formations in which they can ride, that should be spelled out, not just a blanket statement of only two riding together- that would eliminate a family," said Walk Bike Tampa board member Emily Hinsdale.

Hinsdale also worries regulations prohibiting certain stunts like wheelies could end up unfairly targeting young people.  

"We think that there should be a data-driven approach to that. There's certainly anecdotal evidence that there are wheelies and other demonstrations of tricks happening. Are they causing conflicts? Are they not? That's something that should be demonstrated rather than just assumed."

What's next:

Council members are going to have a workshop on April 23, 2026, about bicycle safety. 

They want to have a few public meetings between now and that workshop to work on this ordinance.