The Oak Park Village Board unanimously passed an ordinance amending the Oak Park village code regarding e-bikes, e-scooters and motorized mobility devices at its July 14 meeting.
With the rise in popularity of the motorized devices, safety issues have become a concern, in Oak Park and beyond. Earlier this year, the Illinois Senate passed a measure to establish a regulatory framework for the devices. The Oak Park Village Board’s action sought to bring local laws in line with the state guidelines.
Oak Park police officials said they plan to raise awareness of the issue as they enforce the ordinance, stating that officers will engage residents in areas where the most ridership is, such as in the Hemingway District and the village’s downtown area.
Riders who violate the law by using the vehicles in inappropriate places, speeding or driving dangerously, not having proper credentials or being underage could face fines of up to $750 as Oak Park and other areas crack down on e-bike, e-scooter and other motorized devices.
According to Dan Yopchick, Oak Park’s chief communications officer, fines ultimately would be at the discretion of an administrative law judge based on the circumstances.
“We will work to train our officers in a manner so we can enforce the ordinance as safely and as informed as possible, so that we do not cause any undue harm to our riders,” said Shatonya Johnson, Oak Park’s chief of police.
“Enforcements will start with community service officers, really addressing the riding on the sidewalk and the safety aspect of minors and other individuals who ride these bikes in these areas,” said Roderick Robinson, Oak Park’s deputy police chief.
Robinson said police will provide weekly reports on areas where they see the “most egregious acts,” such as high speed riding and riding at night without lights, so officers can be deployed to those areas and enforce safe riding.
Village Board member James Taglia said the regulations and enforcement may not go far enough. He suggested that parents should be held accountable and pay a fine if their child violates the regulations.
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Efforts to educate residents on the rules and potential consequences for breaking the rules remains a priority, officials said.
The current plan is to use social media and Oak Park’s electronic newsletter to spread their messages about e-bike safety, Yopchick said. A website has also been created to inform residents on how to stay safe. There are also plans to engage with people at community meetings with potential collaborations between neighborhood leaders and school parent-teacher organizations.
While the state bill does not require “headwear” usage by riders, Oak Park’s board members and safety officials encouraged wearing helmets and are discussing possibly providing them through giveaways for riders.
“I think what we need to do is really to get out there to all of our schools, get out there to libraries, get out to all of our bike shops,” said Village Board member Cory Wesley. “We need to do some kind of helmet giveaway and during that helmet giveaway and all that interaction that we’re doing at schools and such, we’re also providing educational material and then we’re getting in front of the parents where the kids are and getting in front of riders where they are going.
“We can’t mandate helmets, but we can subsidize them.”
Oak Park residents and officials spoke of how some of their children have been injured while riding one of the devices during the meeting. Taglia said he gets frequent complaints from residents being concerned about e-bikes riders violating traffic laws and riding on sidewalks.
The classes of the e-bikes were split into three classes in the new bill. Class 1 of e-bikes are equipped with a motor that works when riders go to a max speed of 20 mph. They can only be ridden by people 15 years of age.
Class 2 devices have a throttle for assistance that can go up to 20 mph and can also only be ridden by 15 year olds and older. Class 2 bikes are equipped with motors that are not dependent on pedaling. Riders must also be 15 years old and older.
Devices with pedal assist that can go up to 28 mph are classified in Class 3 and have a minimum age requirement of 16 years old. These bikes require pedal assistance for the motor.
Any other electronic bike that can go over 28 mph requires registration, title, insurance and a driver’s license.
Efforts in other suburbs have been made, too, with Oswego’s village officials approving new safety regulations and other counties have implemented safety regulations regarding the devices.
Improvements to the safety regulations to the electronic transportation devices have been made statewide. Earlier this year, the Illinois Senate unanimously passed a vote to establish a regulatory framework for the devices that was passed to the House. If it is passed by the House and signed by the Gov. JB Pritzker, it would go into effect next year.
Pritzker has 60 days from June 30 to act on the bill.