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Some bicyclists in North Myrtle Beach might have to adjust their summer biking schedules if city council passes new restrictions.

Richard Shade, a chiropractor on the North Strand, supports council potentially setting restrictions that could make the beaches safer for summer beach goers.

Biking on the beach in the summertime during peak hours is dangerous, Shade said, adding that there are too many people to avoid.

The proposed amendment to the Beaches and Waterways chapter of the North Myrtle Beach Code of Ordinances would ban bicycles on public beaches from May 15 to Sept. 15 between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., according to public documents. the use of 鈥渂icycles, tricycles or similar human, gas, or electric powered wheeled vehicles."

黑料社入口

North Myrtle Beach could ban beach biking during summer days

• By Bryn Eddy bryn.eddy@myhorrynews.com

During a Dec. 5 meeting, council voted to postpone discussing the possible change until a public workshop could be held. The workshop has been scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 18, at 1:30 p.m. at city hall. The public will be able to voice their opinions at the workshop.

The City of Myrtle Beach already has similar rules in place.

鈥淭he use of bicycles, tricycles or similar human, gas, or electric powered wheeled vehicles is prohibited from the hours of 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from May 1 up to and including Labor Day on the public beach, except as where otherwise lawfully permitted,鈥� the Myrtle Beach ordinance reads.

Tom Vitt, a member of the City of Myrtle Beach Cycling and Pedestrian Safety Committee, said the proposed amendment is not a bad idea because North Myrtle Beach public beaches get so crowded in the summer during the day.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think prohibiting any kind of cycling during busy hours during the summer is bad.鈥� he said. 鈥淥ur beaches are crowded and vary greatly in width depending on location and tides, so it would be very easy for even an experienced cyclist to have an unfortunate incident with a bather, walker or any other beach goer. Throttle driven e-bikes, even more so than pedal assist e-bikes, have no business on the beach during busy hours.鈥�

Other bicyclists in the community worry that the possible new rules could push more bicyclists onto the roads, which could be more dangerous.

Patrick Kelly, a resident in the Cherry Grove area, said that he wants the city to have more bike paths.

鈥淥ur roads are far more dangerous,鈥� he said.

Richard Griffith of the agreed.

鈥淸Riding on the beach] is safer for us than being out on the road, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t's just kind of counterintuitive to safety in general. But I mean, if they got statistics where cyclists do run over people on the beach, I'd be interested to see those.鈥�

Many local bicyclists choose to ride before work in the morning or after work in the evenings, avoiding peak times, so some question why restrictions to riding during peak hours are even necessary.

鈥淚t seems this is an ordinance in search of a problem," Griffith said. "I have not noticed where cycling on the beach is a hazard or inconvenience to anyone. Most of those people I know who cycle on the beach do it either early in the morning or later afternoon, when beaches are not busy."

North Myrtle Beach Mayor Marilyn Hatley said the council sees a need to place restrictions on beach biking, but city officials have no intention of banning the activity altogether.

"Bicycling is a great exercise," she said. "It's just become a big population of tourists on the beach at times in the summertime, so we are just going to discuss if whether we want to place, or whether we need, not that we want, but rather, would we need to place some restrictions."

Hatley said that a person was hit by an e-bike on a North Myrtle Beach public beach this past summer. She said she is not aware of the extent of any injuries the person may have sustained.

Check for updates on the discussion of this policy.