Is Illinois nearing finish line for statewide regulation of e-bikes?

After seeing a boy of about 7 or 8 piloting a “motorized minibike” through his neighborhood recently, and witnessing two golf carts “barreling” through a street filled with families after an Easter egg hunt, Barrington resident Curt Moore brought his concerns to the village board last week.

“I am asking you to please give this serious consideration before we have a tragedy on our hands,” he said of the village’s lack of rules governing use of e-bikes, e-motos and other electronic transportation devices.

It’s a common refrain throughout the suburbs, one that has been met in recent years with a patchwork approach of local laws. Now, however, the state is stepping in.

The Illinois Senate passed a bill Wednesday backed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias that would place significant restrictions on operators of most electronic “micromobility devices.”

The legislation still has to pass the House and be signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, but policy experts are hopeful.

“I think we’re all moving in the right direction,” said Mark Fowler, executive director of the Northwest Municipal Conference, a lobbying agency for dozens of suburbs.

He believes statewide regulations would prevent confusion and create a sense of fairness.

“Having uniform regulations and combining that with a strong education component is going to help tremendously in making sure that everybody knows what the rules are,” he said.

A number of suburbs have adopted rules on their own. Just last week, Wheaton enacted regulations prohibiting reckless operation of higher-speed electric vehicles, setting a 16-year-old age limit and requiring a valid driver's license.

“There are a lot of new types of electric bikes and devices out in our community and some confusion about who can ride them and where,” Wheaton Police Chief Princeton Youker said.

However, proponents of a statewide policy contend local laws don’t go far enough. They note municipal laws governing electric transportation devices in neighboring towns and adjacent unincorporated areas may be significantly different or nonexistent.

“If you cross the line to another town, people don't know what the regulation is in that area,” said state Rep. Barbara Hernandez, an Aurora Democrat who is sponsoring the new statewide e-bike regulations in the House.

The bill focuses on higher-powered devices outside current state definitions. The state has no laws governing devices going over 28 mph — some have motors exceeding 750 watts and can travel over 50 mph.

The new rules would require riders of e-bikes and e-motos that travel more than 28 mph to have a driver’s license, title, registration and insurance.

In addition to the regulations on e-bikes and e-motos, the bill also places restrictions on e-scooters, electric skateboards and motorized unicycles. They could not exceed 28 mph on roads, bike lanes, bike paths or sidewalks. And riders of any electric micromobility device must be at least 16 years old.

The bill received unanimous approval in the Senate and has bipartisan support in the House.

“I am normally a proponent of smaller government and less legislation, but in this instance, it appears that the speed and power of these vehicles is escalating well beyond their original designs and intent,” said state Rep. Martin McLaughlin, a Barrington Hills Republican.

Inverness Democratic state Rep. Nabeela Syed, also is on board.

“Keeping pedestrians and riders safe on our streets is critical, especially when new technologies are exposing the gaps in existing safety measures,” she said.

Hernandez said the House could take up the matter as early as next week. It still has to go through committee and then reach the House floor.

“I can't wait to go back to the community and say that we were able to get this done this year,” Hernandez said.