Certain dirt bikes are prohibited from Huntley streets after the Village Board passed an ordinance regulating e-bikes.
Courtesy of the village of Huntley
Anyone younger than 18 can be fined if they ride e-scooters in Huntley, the village board decided in a unanimous vote Thursday.
Children younger than 16 who ride certain e-bikes can also be penalized if they use the bike’s motor, according to the new rules.
The crackdown is a response to a growing number of crashes involving e-bikes in Huntley. Police reported 64 dispatched calls regarding e-bikes since Feb. 8 in the village.
Although the new ordinance is similar to state law, officials said making the rule an ordinance violation will help keep kids out of the court system.
In Illinois, people must be at least 16 years old to drive a Class 3 e-bike. In Huntley, anyone riding a low-speed electric or gas bike has to be 16, but officials made an exception that those younger than 16 may operate Class 1 or 2 e-bikes as long as the motor is shut off.
Class 1 low-speed e-bikes have motors that assist only when a rider is pedaling and stop when the rider reaches 20 mph. Motors on Class 2 e-bikes also stop when a rider reaches 20 mph, but they work regardless of whether the rider is pedaling. Class 3 assists when a rider is pedaling and shuts off at 28 mph, according to the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road guide.
E-bikes are not allowed on sidewalks but are permitted on Huntley’s bike and multiuse paths as long as the motor is off.
“If the pedals are in motion, they will be allowed to be on the multiuse path,” Huntley Police Chief Linda Hooten said.
Hooten said e-bikes with 750 watts or more are allowed only on private property with the owner’s consent.
“We have seen these vehicles, these bicycles, on our streets” and on bike and multiuse paths exceeding 35 to 37 mph with children on them, Hooten said.
Village rules require operators of e-scooters to be at least 18 years old, and they are prohibited on sidewalks or other pathways where vehicles are not allowed. The scooters also are not allowed on roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or higher or state highways.
The Huntley Police Department has received calls reporting young riders driving in an unsafe manner, crossing streets and parking lots at high speeds, zigzagging on roads and not stopping at intersections, Hooten said.
Fines would start at $25 and go to $500, but police also can issue a state citation, Hooten said.
“Our goal is not to hinder kids from having fun,” Hooten said.
The ordinance also makes clear that it does not apply to those needing to use motorized wheelchairs.
Village President Tim Hoeft said e-bikes have been an issue since the weather got nice.
“We didn’t want to be,” Hoeft said. “I’ve heard the term ‘government overreach’ in the last two days on Facebook, and that’s the last thing we wanted to do.”
Hoeft said the change was a “last resort” for the village. Hoeft also stressed the change was not meant to be a moneymaker.