legrandangle-lgm

Those under the age of 18 can now be fined if they ride an e-scooter HuntleyThe Village Board decided this unanimously on Thursday.

Under the new rules, children under the age of 16 who ride certain e-bikes can also be penalized if they use the bike’s motor.

The crackdown is the result of a growing number of e-bike accidents in Huntley, officials said. Huntley police reported 64 dispatched calls regarding e-bikes since Feb. 8.

While the new ordinance is similar to state law, officials say making the rule a violation will keep children out of the justice system.

In Illinois, people must be at least 16 years old to ride a Class 3 e-bike. In Huntley, anyone riding a low-speed electric or gas bike must be 16 years old, but officials made an exception that allows those under 16 to ride Class 1 or 2 e-bikes as long as the motor is turned off.

Class 1 low-speed e-bikes have motors that only assist when a rider is pedaling and stop when the rider reaches a speed of 20 miles per hour. The motors on Class 2 e-bikes also stop when a rider reaches 20 miles per hour, but they work regardless of whether the rider is pedaling. Class 3 helps when a rider is pedaling and disengages at 28 mph, according to the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road guide.

We didn’t want that. I’ve been hearing the term ‘government excess’ on Facebook for the past two days, and that’s the last thing we wanted to do.”

— Village chairman Tim Hoeft

E-bikes are not allowed on sidewalks, but are allowed on Huntley’s cycling and multi-use trails as long as the engine is turned off.

“If the pedals are moving, they may be on the multi-use path,” Huntley Police Chief Linda Hooten said.

E-bikes with 750 watts or more are only allowed on private property with the owner’s permission, Hooten said. Some examples of the bikes that officials said are banned include Sur Ron, Talaria and Super 73.

“We’ve seen these vehicles, these bikes, on our streets” and on bike and multi-use paths going over 55 to 60 mph with children on them, Hooten said.

Village rules require e-scooter riders to be at least 18 years old, and they are prohibited on sidewalks or other paths where vehicles are not allowed. The scooters are also not allowed on roads where the speed limit is 55 km/h or higher, or on national highways.

Huntley police have received calls reporting young motorcyclists driving in an unsafe manner, crossing streets and parking lots at high speeds, zigzagging on roads and not stopping at intersections, Hooten said.

A chart shared with the village council showed the subdivision with the most complaints was Northbridge with 14, followed by Talamore with 13. Police also received nine complaints downtown and one in Sun City, according to Hooten and the chart.

Fines start at $25 and can go up to $500, but police can also issue a state citation, Hooten said.

“Our goal is not to stop kids from having fun,” Hooten said.

Some residents said during public comment that they needed the electric assist to continue cycling. Village President Tim Hoeft said in response that if people don’t give police a reason to pull them over, they won’t check whether riders are pedaling or coasting.

The regulation also makes it clear that it does not apply to people who require a motorized wheelchair.

Hoeft said it’s been a problem since the weather turned nice.

“We didn’t want that. I’ve heard the term ‘government excess’ on Facebook over the last two days, and that’s the last thing we wanted to do,” Hoeft said.

Hoeft said the change was a “last resort” for the village. Hoeft also emphasized that the change was not intended to make money.

Trustee Ric Zydorowicz said it wasn’t fair to the kids and drivers who were doing things right. He said he wasn’t doing much to regulate residents more than necessary, but he appreciated that it was actually state law and that Huntley was “putting some teeth into it” to try to stop the problem locally.

Trustee Ronda Goldman said it was protection for both the children and the congregation.

“To me it’s common sense,” Goldman said.