Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman will host ‘Test Ride an eBike’ event on Monday, March 31
Press release from Commissioner Bryan Eastman
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – To close out Florida Biking Month 2025, on Monday, March 31, Gainesvillians will have the chance to test ride an electric bike. Hosted by Gainesville City Commissioner Bryan Eastman and the Gainesville Electric Bike Garage, the “Test Ride an eBike” event will take place on the 6th Street Rail Trail during the Grove Street Farmers Market, right beside Cypress & Grove, from 4-7 p.m.
Riders will have the chance to try different types and speeds of electric bikes, from cargo bikes to fat tires to commuters. The bikes will be provided by locally-owned Gainesville Electric Bike Garage (1535 NW 6th St), along with safety education and maps of upcoming planned bike investments around Gainesville.
Electric bikes are exploding in popularity and can be seen all around the bike lanes and rail trails of Gainesville. A rapidly growing market, experts estimate its total at $40 billion today and estimate it to climb to $92 billion by 2029. Studies show e-bikes reduce carbon emissions, improve health, and reduce traffic.
“E-bikes are a great way to get around the city in a sustainable, fun way,” says Bryan Eastman, City Commissioner for City Commission District 4. “I love it, and I think once people actually get on one and try it themselves, they’ll be just as enthusiastic.”
Commissioner Eastman will also be hosting a “Ride With The Commish” Event on Saturday, March 29, at 9:30 a.m. at Depot Park, also in celebration of Florida Biking Month. The approximately 6.2-mile planned route will be with transportation staff, showcasing the City’s current bicycling infrastructure, and will feature select stops throughout, highlighting existing infrastructure, issues, and future infrastructure plans.
While the commissioners are riding around, they should check out NE 39th Avenue just west of the airport. Their unhinged neighbors have large piles of trash on the sidewalk and in the woods. If that is public property you’re breaking state law.
Just drove by that location . We got a real problem @ 39th & Waldo right now. It’s on the sidewalk!
Please tell cyclists — and peds — to wear visible nighttime clothing, too. I don’t care if they walk or bike, just don’t be an idiot in dark clothing at night.
Please tell motorists to actually pay attention to the road, and not their cellphones. Please tell motorists that there have been so many fatal collisions and hit and runs involving motorists and cyclists due to drivers not sharing the road or paying attention to the bike lane that many cyclists feel safer riding on the sidewalk. Please advise the motorists, that once cyclists are on the sidewalk, they are considered pedestrians under Florida law, but it makes little difference since so many local motorists do not respect pedestrian right-of-way, especially at crosswalks and intersections. Please tell motorists that the blinking white light with the red countdown timer located at the corners of crosswalks/intersections indicates that pedestrians are allowed to legally cross the road without fear of being mowed down by inconsiderate drivers attempting a right or left turn, and who care more about their cellphones and themselves than bother to pay attention to road signs or crosswalk signals and indicators. Please tell motorists that many cyclists and pedestrians drench themselves in flashlights and bright clothing to little effect, and that no matter how stringently they follow pedestrian safety rules they still end up getting killed at intersections on a frequent basis by thoughtless drivers who care more about getting to their destinations quickly than the lives of their fellow human beings. Thank you 🙂
You completely leave out the bike rider’s responsibility to ride safely. I’ve had people on bikes spread out across both lanes of a country road and flat refuse to move and let me by. Bike riders have some responsibility for their own safety which you fail to mention.
What an idiot!
Bike riders need to follow the rules of the road! That doesn’t include swerving in and out of traffic, crossing at red lights, and of course squeezing in between two cars at a red light!
Pure stupidity and death wish!
A bike that you pedal is better exercise…electric bikes are one more POS that has to be plugged in
Eastman doing what he does best. Jumping up and down with too much show off ‘look at me’ energy. Grow up Bryan. Pay off the city debts and don’t waste our money on toys that run up the city’s electric usage.