The afterward of Oak Park and River Forest High School’s homecoming football game Sept. 18 was a study in e-mobility.
On the packed pedestrian mall between the east stadium entrance and the parking structure, several students hopped aboard their e-bikes, complete with a motor and thick, black tires, and began to creep their way through the crowd toward Lake Street.
On Lake Street, two youngsters riding smaller, motorbike-like vehicles – called e-motos – coasted behind two cars. Zipping by in the other direction was an apparent adult on an e-scooter.
E-mobility is everywhere, it seems, and if you’re wondering what the positives and negatives are, you might want to ask OPRF sophomore Matthew Ash. He received his e-bike as a 2025 Christmas gift and rides it to school most days, parking it on the pedestrian mall near the tennis courts.
“There’s a lot less effort required on e-bikes than that of regular ones,” said Ash, who always wears a helmet. “You don’t have to pedal with an electric motor that uses a throttle. Along with that, there is an assist mode built in where just pedaling with the motor on moves the bike.”
Some might posit that e-bikes aren’t as safe as a regular non-powered bike. After all, village ordinance says most e-bikes can’t exceed 20 mph. Nevertheless, that’s quick. Ash has his own opinion.
“What I can say is that yes, e-bikes are more dangerous only if they are not used responsibly,” he said. “As like with cars and combustion motorcycles, they have to be used with the idea that they can put not just themselves but others in danger.”
E-bike concerns at OPRF
Kristen Devitt is OPRF’s director of campus safety. She said e-bikes and other e-mobility modes of transportation are a safety concern at school.
“Number one is, obviously they move so much faster than something that you would speed manually, like a pedal bike or a regular skateboard,” she said. “That means you have less control over it.
“Across the board, we’re seeing kids not wearing protective gear while they are riding these, helmets, pads, anything like that. They are also not necessarily wearing things that make them more identifiable to people.”
This is true on and off campus, she said. Just like after the game, she said she’s “seen kids riding in the middle of the street like a motorcycle.”
There have also been a few accidents, she said.
“We have had incidents where kids have by themselves crashed into something on their bike, like a stationary object,” she said. “We’ve had a couple of incidents where bikes have had near misses with pedestrians here in our mall area.
“Luckily, thus far we haven’t had severe injuries that have been reported to us. But it is very concerning because it could very easily get severe quickly.”
That’s why Devitt collaborates with her counterparts at Oak Park School District 97 and the Oak Park Police Department to address any e-mobility issues on the various campuses. Collaboration keeps everyone in the loop and allows for exchange of information, including with Deputy Chief Roderick Robinson of the Oak Park police.
“I am part of the tri-agency meetings with District 97 and District 200 and it’s come up,” he said. “There are riders coming to the high school. Officers are at the high school or in the area to address (issues).”
Felicia Starks-Turner is the chief safety officer of the District 97 elementary schools. She said its rules are aligned with the village ordinance, which is based on the forthcoming state law that will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027. (See accompanying sidebar.)
The state law will mandate no e-bike riders under the age of 15, which is what the Oak Park ordinance says. Starks-Turner said the district is an education phase with its students and parents.
“If we see a student that has that at school, generally they are spoken to, parents would be called to discuss the ordinance, and the student will be told not to bring it back to school,” she said. “We make sure we educate students. Because it’s new, we have to educate a little more. Everyone is getting adjusted to, and it is definitely getting addressed.”
Education over citations
Robinson said though e-bikes and other e-mobility devices are more common, it’s not only students using them.
“I think it’s definitely across the board,” he said. “Everyone is trying to get to places a little quicker, so it’s something that doesn’t have an age restraint.”
He said e-bikes are particularly popular and there have been accidents involving them, which makes it “a very big issue for the police department and the village in general.”
The village enacted a new ordinance regarding e-bikes and other e-mobility devices in July. As noted, it aligns with the new state law. Robinson said the police force’s emphasis has been on educating the public about the new ordinance rather than focusing on violations. But make no mistake; if your riding is over-the-top unsafe, expect a ticket.
“Right now we want to educate and if the violation is egregious and hazardous to a lot of people, we’ll go the citation route,” he said. “We have cited individuals.”
Over in River Forest, Police Chief James Greenwood said the village is planning to align its ordinances with the new state requirements, like Oak Park. And while he said, “riders must learn and follow the rules of the road,” there is the possibility of a citation.
Yet, the focus there has been on education, too.
“Concerns have included street safety, compliance with regulations, and reports of young riders using e‑bikes in parks and on sidewalks, where they are not permitted,” he said. “In response, officers conducted an education campaign – stopping violators and explaining the rules – before issuing citations. This led to 15 locally adjudicated citations in June.
“Since then, records indicate no additional e‑bike citations, suggesting the message has circulated effectively.”
A River Forest School District 90 spokesperson added that e-bike use must comply with local ordinances and must be walked on school property. E-scooters are not permitted.
Drive safely
With the growth in popularity of e-bikes, e-scooters and the like, OPRF sophomore Libby Boveri agreed with her classmate Ash on how to be safe.
She’s been riding her e-bike to school since the start of this school year and always wears a helmet. But it’s more than that.
“In my experience, an e-bike is way faster and more efficient to get (to) where you need to be,” she said. “I would agree that e-bikes are more dangerous, but if you are following the rules of the road and riding how you should be, I would say they are just as safe.”
Oak Park ordinance mirrors new state law
In July, the Oak Park village board passed an ordinance amending the village code regarding e-bikes, e-scooters and mobile mobility devices, designed to mirror a state law that will go into effect Jan. 1, 2027, after being signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker in late August.
The village defines an e-bike as an electric bicycle that includes motor assistance with a motor less than 750 watts and equipped with operable pedals. It does not require a driver’s license but any device at or above 750 watts is prohibited. There are three classes of e-bikes:
- Class 1: Pedal assisted with motor assistance only when pedaling. Motor assistance stops when speed reaches 20 mph. The Oak Park ordinance prohibits e-mobility device under age 15.
- Class 2: Throttle assisted, where the motor can be used to propel the e-bike without using pedals. Motor assistance stops at 20 mph, and like Class 1 e-bikes, the Oak Park ordinance prohibits e-mobility device under age 15.
- Class 3: Pedal assisted with motor assistance stopping when speed reaches 28 mph. Minimum age requirement is 16.
There are other regulations. E-bikes must be labeled with its classification, top assisted speed and motor wattage. They are not permitted on sidewalks, including in business districts, and must be equipped with a lamp up front and a reflector in the rear for night operation. They may only be ridden on roadways and must abide by the common bicycle rules of the road.
That’s a lot of potential violations. But the village isn’t as keen on enforcement as it is on education, at least presently, according to Sara Semelka, health education manager in the village public health department.
“We are in the business of prevention and education,” she said, adding the village can’t enact an ordinance that is more restrictive than state law. That’s why helmets aren’t required, but Semelka and the village strongly recommends them, so riders can avoid traumatic head injuries.
“We encourage that for every person, every ride, every time,” she said.
As an example of that commitment, the village handed out more than 100 helmets at the BarrieFest neighborhood festival earlier this month, and delivered information about bike and e-bike safety.