'Bad Situation': La Grange Mulls E-Bike Rules

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange resident Bob Nelson says he was sitting at an outside table at Aurelio's Pizza about a couple of feet from the door.

Then two people on an electric scooter whizzed by between the table and the door.

"I'm glad that no one came out of that door, or there would have been a very bad situation," he told the Village Board this week.

Count Nelson among the supporters of a village crackdown on e-bikes and e-scooters.

Village officials are listening. And they have stories as well.

At Monday's meeting, the board looked at proposed regulations. The key one would bar those under 18 from riding e-bikes and e-scooters, unless they have a driver's license.

"We know where the problem exists," Trustee Beth Augustine said. "It's the younger kids."

Trustees generally agreed to ban bikes on downtown sidewalks, but allow them on others. Now, bikes are banned on all sidewalks, though it's not enforced outside downtown, officials said.

Benjamin Schuster, La Grange's lawyer, said the village wants to avoid rules that are impossible to enforce.

"In communities that have adopted regulations, their biggest success has not been through writing citations; it's been through education," Schuster said. "If there is a clear rule, such as age, it's easier for the community to understand."

Police Chief Timothy Griffin said some youths modify their e-bikes to go faster than the model types indicate.

"Many times, when our officers have tried to talk to these kids on these e-bikes or e-scooters, they have fled from the officers," the chief said. "We don't want to be involved in chasing kids. Adrenaline is pumped up, and now they're going to go through an intersection to get away from us."

Trustees said they plan to revisit the issue at their Oct. 27 meeting and possibly vote on regulations.