Discussion over e-bike and e-scooter ordinances returned to the boards of Deerfield and Highland Park this month, with both municipalities ultimately standing by their decisions to regulate motorized vehicles off of sidewalks and trails.
Deerfield leaders, acknowledging some community confusion over the specifics of the village’s ordinances, still regarded the ordinances positively. Highland Park officials voted down a potential amendment to their regulations that would’ve allowed e-bikes and scooters on the Robert McClory bike path.
During Monday evening’s board meeting, Deerfield’s Board of Trustees received a 90-day report from Deputy Police Chief Brian Budny on its ordinance, passed in May. The Police Department has seen a reduction in calls and accidents, he said.
Several board members shared the sentiment that there are still a high degree of instances of children and young people riding the vehicles improperly or unsafely, drawing from personal experiences and comments shared with them from residents. Trustee Mary Oppenheim encouraged residents to call in such incidents.
Board members said confusion remains around the specifics of what categories of e-vehicles can and cannot be ridden and where.
Motorized vehicles — including e-scooters and motor-driven cycles under 150cc, such as mopeds — are not allowed on sidewalks, bike paths, private property or parking lots according to an informational flyer distributed by the village. There are also various age and safety requirements for each type of vehicle.
However, low-speed, pedal-assist-style bicycles are allowed on bike paths in Deerfield, according to previous comments by Budny, since they are regulated by the state.
Despite the confusion among some residents, board members seem to generally consider the ordinance a positive step, although community outreach work remains.
“It’s nice to see that since we’ve adopted this, there are several communities that have adopted similar ordinances and asked us, so we’ve taken a leadership position on this for the benefit of the safety of our kids,” Mayor Daniel Shapiro said.
Part of the confusion lies in differing regulations between communities, and a lack of state-level regulations to create a more uniform set of rules. Shapiro said that during a recent meeting with other mayors and state Sen. Julie Morrison, concerns over e-vehicle regulations were one of the top topics discussed.
With school starting back up, board members are also interested in seeing how that will impact the number of e-vehicle incidents. Budny said the department plans to have school resource officers check bike racks and educate students about the new ordinance.
Highland Park keeps a stricter ban.
In last week’s Highland Park City Council meeting, members considered and ultimately voted down an amendment, by a 4-3 vote, to the city’s ban that would have allowed e-bikes and e-scooters on bike paths. Mayor Nancy Rotering and council members Andres Tapia and Jon Center voted in favor of the amendment.
The amendment would have only applied to the Robert McClory bike path. City staff said that the Skokie Valley Trail, while maintained by Highland Park, is under Lake County’s jurisdiction, which already permits the use of e-bikes on the trail.
The arguments presented were largely in line with similar points made previously by members of the City Council. Center argued that lower-speed motorized bicycles offer accessibility benefits for residents, such as the elderly, and should be allowed on trails.
Other board members remained unconvinced, repeating their concerns of having e-bikes riding alongside pedestrians on the city’s trails and putting those on foot at risk.
According to meeting documents, the city is the only municipality in the area that prohibits e-bikes from public trails entirely, and staff recommended the amendment to better align with regional standards.
