Orange Beach city leaders are moving to update local safety rules governing recreational vehicle rentals, electric bicycles and other micromobility devices as the coastal community continues to see rapid growth in tourism traffic. The Orange Beach City Council is scheduled to take up the changes during a joint regular and work session meeting Tuesday, Aug. 4, at 5 p.m. in the Orange Beach City Hall Council Chambers.
The proposed updates target two separate but related concerns: the booming business of renting golf carts, low-speed vehicles and scooters to visitors, and the growing popularity of e-bikes and other micromobility devices on the city’s roads, sidewalks and trails.
New Standards for Rental Vehicles
Under the updated regulations, golf carts, low-speed vehicles and scooters offered for rent in Orange Beach would be required to meet a new set of safety standards. Rental golf carts would have to display a white flag with black block lettering identifying them as rental units, along with visible warning labels stating that the vehicles are prohibited on streets with speed limits above 25 mph and cannot be operated by unlicensed drivers.
Rental businesses would also be required to maintain a physical location within city limits or the city’s police jurisdiction and carry at least $1 million in general liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured. City officials say the changes are intended to make it easier to identify rental vehicles on the road and hold rental companies accountable for how their vehicles are used.
Speed Limits and Helmet Rules for E-Bikes
The council has also passed the second reading of an ordinance adding Article IX to Chapter 70 of the city code, establishing a new set of rules for bicycles, micromobility devices and electric motorcycles. The ordinance bars electric motorcycles from operating on sidewalks, multi-use paths and the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, restricting them to public roadways only.
E-bikes and bicycles would be subject to a 20 mph speed limit on multi-use paths and a 12 mph limit on the Backcountry Trail. Riders under age 16 would be required to wear a helmet, and all riders would need to slow to 10 mph or less when coming within 50 feet of pedestrians. City officials have pointed to the rapid rise in e-bike use along the trail and beach-area paths as a driving factor behind the new limits.
Other Business on the Agenda
During the regular session, the council is also expected to consider a range of other items, including accepting a negotiated price of $98,342.60 from Coogan Enterprises LLC, doing business as Coogan Lawn and Landscape LLC, for exotic invasive plant species removal, native landscaping, monitoring and education for the city’s Coastal Resources Department.
Council members will also weigh awarding the bid for a new all-aluminum Coastal Resources work skiff to Roberts Welding, LLC, in the amount of $94,480, which includes additive alternates for engine installation, hydraulic steering and navigation electronics. Additionally on the agenda is authorization of an annual cooperative agreement not to exceed $306,000 for architectural design and engineering services tied to a First Responder Hurricane Safe Room.
Other items include reappointing Bill Brett to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism Board of Directors, authorizing a participation agreement with the Municipal Workers Compensation Fund, Inc., and accepting the donation of police canine “Nox” from the Orange Beach Police K-9 Foundation. The council will also hold a public hearing and first reading on a zoning ordinance amendment tied to a Columbia Southern University planned unit development modification for a new freestanding sign, along with a first reading of an ordinance amending Chapter 42 regarding flood damage prevention.
During the Committee of the Whole session, the council is expected to discuss amending the employee pay plan and job listing to simplify job titles within each pay grade, as well as authorizing a use agreement with the Coastal Alabama Business Chamber to loan two city-owned ATVs for the 53rd Annual National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores.