The Oswego Village Board recently approved new regulations for e-bikes and e-scooters after numerous complaints from residents encountering riders who they said were moving at high speeds and in a reckless manner in town, village officials said.
In doing so, the village joined scores of other suburban municipalities enacting similar legislation in response to resident concerns about safety.
Oswego’s ordinance covers where e-scooters and e-bikes can be operated and by whom.
According to the ordinance, e-bicycles or e-scooters capable of traveling at more than 10 mph cannot be operated on sidewalks and are limited to bicycle paths and roadways. When on a roadway, operators are to follow all rules of the road, according to the ordinance.
“Many times, these vehicles are operated by children who do not possess the knowledge and skills to operate these vehicles in a safe manner and at high speed,” Oswego Police Chief Jason Bastin said in a previous presentation to trustees.
While officers are limited in enforcement due to state law limitations, communities can enact their own ordinances to address many of the issues concerning e-bikes and e-scooters, he said.
Under Illinois law, e-bikes, which are sometimes referred to as low-speed electric bicycles, are different from an electric motorcycle. E-bikes must have an electric motor of less than 750 watts, and are split into three classes.
Class 1 e-bikes have motors that only provide assistance when the rider is pedaling, whereas Class 2 e-bikes have an electric motor that cuts out when the brake is applied. Class 3 e-bikes, like Class 1, have a motor that stops when its rider stops pedaling.
Per the village’s ordinance, operators of Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes must be 16 years old or older. E-scooter operators must be at or above 18 years old in accordance with state law.
Violations of the village ordinance will be $75 for the first offense and $100 for a second offense, while a third offense carries a $150 fine with a maximum fine set at $750, officials said.
The approved ordinance is available on the Oswego website at: https://www.oswegoil.org/government/police/resources/e-bike-e-scooter-safety.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
