SPRINGFIELD — Owners of electric bikes, scooters and other modes of transportation could soon be subject to new regulations under a bill moving forward in the Statehouse.
Senate Bill 3336 would establish regulations on “micromobility” transportation such as e-bikes and e-scooters that include age requirements, speed limits and rules on where they can be operated. It was approved by the House 80-30 on Wednesday and awaits a concurrence vote in the Senate, where it passed unanimously in April.
“Our roadways look very different than they did five years ago,” House sponsor Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, said during debate on Wednesday. “There’s a lot of new technology out there and as we’re seeing, there’s a lot of electronic bicycles, scooters, skateboards, unicycles and e-models in all of our communities. Also including in our bike lanes and sidewalks who are sharing the road with passenger vehicles.”
The bill is an initiative of Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, who said at a news conference in April that Illinois needs a more uniform system of regulations for electric personal transportation methods.
“I frequently take my daughters on the bike path up in Chicago,” Giannoulias said. “And you know, five years ago, you only saw bicyclists or joggers. Now you see literal motorcycles that are on the bike path and it’s dangerous.”
Supporters of the legislation say the devices create a safety hazard for both riders and pedestrians because some can travel more than 40 mph and can often be found sharing space on both sidewalks and busy streets.
“We actually have folks from Northwestern hospital who are telling us that the number of incidents that they're seeing in emergency rooms because of these e-bikes and these micromobility vehicles has been staggering,” Giannoulias said.
New regulations
The state already has some regulations for low-speed electric bikes and scooters, but the bill would create new standards for high-speed electric bikes and scooters, electric motor bikes, and electric unicycles and skateboards.
The bill creates a new tier of regulations for “high-speed” e-bikes, which have electric motors and can travel faster than 28 mph. Those would be regulated similarly to motorcycles and require users to have a driver’s license, insurance, an ownership title and register the vehicle with the state. They also must be driven on roads.
“Low-speed” e-bikes are already regulated by the state, but the bill would create three new tiers that govern how old a person must be to drive them. Drivers must be 15 years old to operate a Class 1 pedal-assist bike that travels up to 20 mph, such as Chicago’s Divvy Bikes, and a Class 2 motor-powered bike that doesn’t have to be pedaled. People must be 16 to drive pedal-assist bikes that can travel up to 28 mph.
All low-speed e-bikes can be used on streets, bike lanes, paths and trails, but not on sidewalks.
Some high-speed electric scooters can reach speeds of 50 mph. But the new regulations would limit them to traveling up to 28 mph. Riders would be allowed to operate them on paths, bike lanes, roads with speed limits up to 35 mph, or faster roads if there is a bike lane. Users must be 16 years old.
Low-speed electric scooters that top out at 20 mph would also be allowed on paths, bike lanes, and roads by users who are at least 16 years old, down from 18 years old in current law.
Battery-powered devices designed for young children would be unregulated aside from a stipulation they must stay on sidewalks and paths.
Users who violate the regulations could pay fines and have their devices confiscated and impounded by the police. They are also subject to other existing traffic laws and penalties as well.
Divided Republicans
The bill sailed through the Senate in April with help from Republican Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, who said increased use of the technology is a growing concern for communities in her northwest suburban district that are mixed with forest preserve bike trails and busy streets.
“The reality is the technology has moved faster than our laws,” Hills said last month. “Right now, the rules for the road and for the riders are unclear, and law enforcement doesn't always have the tools they need to address the unsafe operation.”
Republicans were more divided in the House, with most opposing the bill after it was amended to include driving under the influence penalties, but only if the bike operator was traveling faster than 28 mph.
Rep. Patrick Windhorst, R-Metropolis, said the amendment “dramatically” changes DUI laws and argued it would be challenging to prove someone was driving their device more than 28 mph.
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, more broadly opposed the bill for not including regulations on utility terrain vehicles, or UTVs.
“The Secretary of State’s push for e-bike regulation under the guise of safety disregards the many concerns of utility terrain vehicles owners to protect roads and users,” she said in a statement.
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