Dundee Township trying to halt e-vehicles illegally using trails

Dundee Township’s ban on motorized e-vehicles hasn’t stopped people from illegally using them on their nature trails, causing issues for pedestrians, cyclists and even horses, one official says.

And even with the new Illinois law establishing regulations and categories for e-vehicles like e-bikes, defined as anything that can go 28 mph or more, enforcing restrictions on the Fox River Bike Trail and elsewhere will be difficult, according to Dundee Township Trustee Sue Harney.

A driving force behind the township’s open space efforts 30 years ago, Harney said she has had personal experiences with e-vehicles coming up suddenly on nature trails despite their prohibition.

“We were walking along and talking (and) all of a sudden, we had bikes behind us going 20 to 25 mph,” Harney said. “We have also observed people moving along at highway speeds on the trails.”

Given the mix of people walking, sometimes with children or pets, vehicles going at a high speed is a “recipe for disaster,” Harney said.

Part of the problem stems from the fact that Dundee Township doesn’t have a police department, she said. Many of the areas are unincorporated, and others are in towns like Sleepy Hollow, a small town that doesn’t have enough officers to offer a consistent police presence on trails and in open areas.

“The biggest issue for me is safety. It’s just not safe (for these vehicles to be in these areas),” Harney said.

The trails on the township’s open space properties are primarily meant for pedestrians and cyclists, she said. Those on bicycles aren’t going fast, she said.

Frontenac Farm owner Cindi Martinovic said she has noticed more e-vehicles at Jelke Creek, a 244-acre open space property located off Boncosky Road in Sleepy Hollow. Jelke Creek has gravel trails, mature oak and hickory woodlands, wetlands and prairies, according to Dundee Township’s website.

Martinovic bought Frontenac Farm, a former dairy farm at 35W199 Boncosky Road, 34 years ago. Now used as a horse farm, she offers boarding, riding lessons and training with both indoor and outdoor areas.

Riders used to use Jelke Creek to exercise horses, but most have stopped, she said.

“It’s just so good to be out in nature and enjoy being out, but it’s no fun if (the horses and riders) are scared,” she said. “The last couple of years, these e-bikes (have been) scaring the heck out of our horses.

“I think part of it is the lack of knowledge by the bike riders. They don’t realize something that doesn’t make noise coming up behind a horse will scare them. It gets a little nerve-wracking because you are always looking behind you to make sure no one is coming. … Their reaction is fright or flight. They either kick or they run away. Either way, it’s not a good option.”

Last year, several horses came back without their riders, Martinovic said. Two other riders had their horses spooked, prompting them to run into the prairie.

Frontenac Farm has been transporting horses to Forest Preserve District of Kane County’s Burnidge Forest Preserve in Elgin, which does have a police presence.

“We haven’t had the same issues there,” Martinovic said of the Big Timber Road forest preserve.

More signage would help, Harney said, something that Dundee Township plans to do in addition to launching a social media campaign to educate people on the rules.

“There are always people who will continue to ignore (signs), but I think it does help,” she said. “It puts people on notice that there is an issue.”

• Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News.