The city of Naperville is considering taking a page out of Illinois’ state law books and adopting an ordinance addressing the dos and don’ts of riding e-bikes and e-scooters within the municipality.
The city council held a first reading Tuesday, Nov. 4, on an ordinance that could amend municipal code and add new provisions regulating e-bikes and e-scooters. A second reading, and a potential binding vote, is scheduled for the next council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
‘Increasingly popular forms of transportation,’ police chief says
In a memo to the council, Police Chief Jason Arres outlined the rationale behind the ordinance proposal.
“E-bikes and e-scooters have become increasingly popular forms of transportation within Naperville, and across the state of Illinois,” Arres wrote. “These devices offer residents and visitors an efficient, environmentally friendly means of travel, and are an important part of the evolving mobility landscape.”
Arres and other city officials said the majority of cases involving e-bike and e-scooter use within Naperville have been at the hands of responsible motorists.
“However, the increased presence of these devices on city roadways, sidewalks, and multi-use paths, shared-use path, trails, and bike paths (multi-use paths) has also led to a rise in community complaints and safety concerns,” Arres added.
Safety concerns raised throughout recent discussion
During the preliminary discussion on an e-bike and e-scooter ordinance at the Nov. 4 meeting, several council members weighed in with concerns of their own and indicated their support for having an ordinance on Naperville’s books.
Mayor Scott Wehrli said has “witnessed near misses that gave me heart palpitations” and said greater strides toward education and enforcement can help prevent a tragedy from occurring within Naperville.
“Let’s face it: We have a responsibility to protect all of our children,” Wehrli said. “As much as we’d like to rely on the police department for the enforcement of this ordinance, the reality is we need to rely on parents in our city to be responsible for making the right decisions for their children, and being in compliance with this ordinance in whatever form it takes.”
At first blush, Councilman Patrick Kelly said he is supportive of the ordinance and the intent behind it.
“It’s a major annoyance — or worse than that, even — for a lot of people in this town, so we appreciate you doing the work on this,” Kelly said to city officials involved in crafting the language. “The draft ordinance looks good to me.”
What’s in the draft ordinance, and how enforcement will be handled
Arres said the ordinance could serve as “a comprehensive local regulatory framework for e-bikes and e-scooters.” The document would include a number of the provisions within Illinois state law, applying them to local enforcement, as well as incorporate additional provisions as well.
Examples include clarification of where e-bikes and e-scooters can be ridden within Naperville, including public roadways and bike lanes. The ordinance draft also addresses a common complaint — use of the devices on sidewalks — and specifically states such a practice is unlawful.
Age restrictions also are included within the ordinance, setting the limit to age 16 for e-bikes and age 18 or e-scooters. The ordinance also “encourages helmet use for all operators and passengers.”
Enforcement and education were two issues tied to the potential ordinance that were discussed at the recent meeting.
As is the case with any other ordinance, Arres said some of it will be complaint-based. Citations also could be issued as officers make note of infractions during routine traffic patrols.
In the case of e-bike and e-scooter use, Arres compared the city’s enforcement under the would-be ordinance to speeding.
“We need compliance, yet people still speed, and speeding is against the law,” Arres said. “When we’re in the area and see that, we address it. The same applies for e-bikes.”
The plans in motion include outreach and collaboration with Naperville School District 203 and Indian Prairie School District 204, as well as local merchants selling the devices, on the importance of following proper safety protocols with e-bike use for high schoolers.
“The more people that share this, the better,” Arres said. “Our community is as great as it is because we partner together.”
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