Glenview officials are considering regulations for electric bicycles, including the possibility of prohibiting their use by youth 15 years old and younger.
The Village Board on July 15 was presented with recommendations from the Glenview Police Department for village code modifications that would allow the use of e-bikes within the village with certain restrictions. An existing local law, in effect since 2004, bans “motor-driven scooters” in the village, and officials have interpreted this to include electric bicycles.
Trustees held off on reaching a consensus on any specific changes to the code, and no date has been set on continuing the e-bike discussion.
Some trustees and Village President Michael Jenny acknowledged that use of e-bikes should be specifically addressed in Glenview’s ordinance.
“I do think we need to talk about updating the code,” said Jenny. “We need to realize people are out there using these bikes.”
E-bikes, which allow riders to travel without manually pedaling as they would on an ordinary bicycle, can reach speeds of more than 20 mph, police said. Despite the prohibition of the bikes under the 2004 ordinance, riders do operate them in the village, officials acknowledged.
Since August 2021, five crashes between vehicles and e-bikes have been reported to police, one of them fatal, police said in a Village Board memo.
So far this year, there have been two collisions between e-bikes and pedestrians, said Deputy Chief of Police Mark Ciesla.
To address safety concerns regarding these bikes, Glenview Police have recommended allowing their use, but requiring riders to be 16 years or older to operate the bike’s propulsion system. Younger rides could use the bike’s manual mode, Ciesla indicated. E-bikes would not be allowed on bike paths, sidewalks and other “multi-use” paths unless they are operated in the manual (pedal) mode, the department’s recommendation states.
Trustee Tim Doron suggested these recommendations would be “a nightmare to enforce,” while Trustee Adam Sidoti, who acknowledged that his son uses an e-bike, said he would prefer that most e-bikes be allowed on certain sidewalks as they are safer than riding them on busy roadways where dedicated bike lanes do not exist.
“To me, that would be the safest way to ensure these kids who already have these bikes and are using them are as safe as possible,” he said.
Village Attorney Julie Tappendorf noted that Illinois state law prohibits e-bikes on sidewalks state-wide.
“We could allow them at manual power, but we would be inconsistent with state law if we actually became less strict than the (state) vehicle code,” she said.
In Glenview, regular, non-motorized bicycles can be used on sidewalks, Ciesla said.
Trustees Gina DeBoni and Jim Bland said they would like a local law requiring e-bike riders to wear helmets. DeBoni also suggested requiring a driver’s license for certain types of e-bikes that can travel at faster speeds.
Several suburban municipalities have been updating their local laws to regulate e-bike usage. In nearby Deerfield, e-bikes are prohibited on sidewalks, bike paths and parking lots, and can only be driven on streets by riders 16 years old and over with a valid driver’s license. Fines for improper usage start at $100, according to the village.
In July, neighboring Northbrook held community meetings to gather input on ways to address e-bike safety, while the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Advisory Group in Niles met July 21 to discuss potential regulations for e-bikes and electric scooters.
Use of electric scooters is currently prohibited in Glenview under the 2004 ordinance, and the recommendations presented to the Village Board on e-bikes would not change this ban, Ciesla said.
Resident Skip Newman suggested the village also address electric scooters.
“Whatever the village passes, they need to deal with scooters as well,” he said.
