What To Know About Oak Lawn's New E-Scooter And E-Bike Restrictions

OAK LAWN, IL — Oak Lawn trustees passed an amended ordinance to the village traffic code, effectively banning low-speed electric scooters with a maximum speed of 10-mph during Tuesday’s board meeting. The amended ordinance also outlines provisions for low-speed electric bicycles, gas bicycles and related devices in Oak Lawn’s traffic code, aligned with the Illinois Vehicle Code.

The changes are a year in the making when Tr. Jamie Pembroke (District 4) first expressed concern over the number of middle-school aged kids tooling around village streets on electric scooters with no regard for the rules of the road.

“They don’t know the rules of the road,” said Pembroke, a retired driver’s education teacher. “Stopping at signs and riding on the right side of the street is optional.”

A new Illinois state law regulating low-speed electric scooters went into effect on August 9, 2024, This law prohibits the use of electric scooters unless they are authorized by a local ordinance.

Key parts of the village ordinance distinguish between general-electric scooters and low-speed scooters. Low-speed electric scooters weighing under 100 pounds and capped at a maximum speed of 10mph are explicitly prohibited in Oak Lawn, in accordance with state law. Such scooters are now prohibited in the village.

General-electric scooters that can achieve speeds up to 40mph are also banned from village streets and roads, unless they are properly titled and registered in Illinois. Operators age 16 or older must possess a valid driver’s license to drive them.

“The scooters cannot be used on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or greater,” Pembroke said, reading from the ordinance.

General-electric scooters must also have working front and rear lights for night use and functioning brakes. Operators cannot have passengers or carry loads that could impair with control.

“I see a lot of kids riding double on the scooters in the streets,” Pembroke said.

While the higher speed scooters cannot be ridden on sidewalks, they are allowed to cross sidewalks. Riders must travel in single file with traffic, yield to pedestrians, come to a stop before crosswalks, driveways and alleys, and use hand signals for turning and stopping. Clinging to other vehicles while riding e-scooters is also prohibited.

Broader classifications in the amended village traffic code also clarify the definitions of e-bikes, scooters and similar devices.

Oak Lawn joins a growing list of towns that have passed new ordinance, essentially banning the low-speed e-scooters popular among tweens and young teens, including Evergreen Park, Palos Heights, Hinsdale, Fox Lake and Elk Grove Village, to name a few.

In June, a 14-year-old Elmhurst boy riding an electric bicycle struck a woman leaving a business in the 500 block of South York Street. Under state law, his bike was classified as a motorcycle.

“I think this is something that is very important for our village,” Pembroke said. “As a trustee, I’m in favor of it, but I know [the ordinance] is going to upset some people because their kids or parents invested in scooters for their children. It’s a matter of safety as far as I’m concerned. I’m hearing more and more parents talking about close calls.”

For the next few weeks, Oak Lawn police will be issuing warnings to e-scooter and e-bike operators while the village looks at revising fines for violators. The Illinois Vehicle Code indicates fines of up to $750 for violating Illinois's scooter laws. Village officials are looking to lower the fines.