E-bike crashes and near-misses near Oak Park and River Forest High School have prompted a joint police-and-school safety response.
Kristen Devitt, OPRF's director of campus safety, said students have crashed e-bikes into stationary objects and had close calls with pedestrians on the school's mall area. No severe injuries have been reported to the school, as first reported by the Wednesday Journal.
"It is very concerning because it could very easily get severe quickly," Devitt said.
The problem was visible after OPRF's homecoming football game Friday, Sept. 18, when students rode e-bikes through a packed crowd near the stadium and youngsters on motorbike-style e-motos coasted along Lake Street.
Devitt said students are not wearing helmets or pads and are riding in the middle of the street. She coordinates with Oak Park Police Department Deputy Chief Roderick Robinson and Felicia Starks-Turner, District 97's chief safety officer, through tri-agency meetings where e-mobility has come up as a topic.
Robinson called e-bikes "a very big issue for the police department and the village in general." Officers are stationed at or near the high school to address problems, he said.
Oak Park's ordinance and enforcement approach
The Oak Park Village Board unanimously passed Ordinance 26-150 on July 14, regulating e-bikes, e-scooters and motorized mobility devices. The ordinance took effect immediately.
It sets three e-bike classes. Class 1 and Class 2 cap motor-assisted speed at 20 mph. Both require riders to be at least 15. Class 3 caps speed at 28 mph and requires riders to be at least 16. Devices at or above 750 watts are prohibited. E-bikes are banned from sidewalks and must have a front lamp and rear reflector at night, according to village safety materials.
Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson and Robinson presented an education-first enforcement plan at the July 14 board meeting, according to the Wednesday Journal's earlier coverage. Robinson said police will pursue citations only for the most dangerous violations.
Trustee Cory Wesley raised concerns at that meeting about how officers would determine riders' ages and device speeds without creating an undue burden on riders and police. Trustee James Taglia said he supports education but also favors holding parents accountable under state law.
Sara Semelka, health education manager in the Oak Park Public Health Department, said the village cannot make its rules stricter than state law. Helmets are strongly recommended but not required. Oak Park distributed more than 100 helmets at the BarrieFest neighborhood festival in early September along with e-bike safety information.
E-bike riders are three times more likely than regular cyclists to suffer a traumatic brain injury, according to the Oak Park Public Health Department.
State law adds age requirements in January
Oak Park's ordinance mirrors Illinois Senate Bill 3484, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Aug. 26. The state law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027, and sets a minimum age of 15 for Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes. Riders of high-speed devices over 28 mph will need a driver's license, title, registration and insurance, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's office.
In District 97 elementary schools, Starks-Turner said staff speak with students found with prohibited devices and call parents to discuss the ordinance. In River Forest, Police Chief James Greenwood said officers issued 15 locally adjudicated e-bike citations in June after an education campaign. No additional citations have followed.
Oak Park also launched an "E-ride Ready" safety campaign with brochures, social media outreach and planned partnerships with local schools. The state age requirements take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
