Active Transportation Alliance and Ride Illinois held a Suburban Advocacy Connect over Zoom on Friday, August 22, to allow suburban residents to receive updates on sustainable transportation and to ask questions. The subject of the most recent meeting was micromobility, e-bike laws, and the rise of e-motos.
The primary speaker on the webinar was Dave Simmons, executive director of Ride Illinois. Jim Merrell, managing director of advocacy at ATA, also provided information. Merrell opened with a quick update on transit legislation in Illinois and the impending $771M fiscal cliff facing Chicagoland transit. A QR code was provided for attendees to contact their legislators and demand funding and reform to avoid catastrophic service cuts and layoffs.
"We're asking for $1.5 billion in new revenue, and it's critical that we not only prevent our state agencies from going off this cliff, but that we fully fund them and give ourselves the transit system that we deserve," said Merrell. "So, we could really use your help on making sure the general assembly finishes the work that started in the spring.” Merrill urged attendees to voice support for the bill before the state legislature reconvenes in October.
Simmons then moved on to the topic of the day: e-motos, or electric motorcycles. Unlike e-bikes, which have an electric motor that provides an extra boost while the rider pedals, e-motos do not have pedals and entirely powered by electric motors. E-motos are built on a bicycle-style frame with motors larger than 750 watts and are capable of exceeding 20 mph. Simmons said that the e-moto industry is moving faster than the regulators, creating safety concerns.
"Essentially, what was happening is any device with an electric motor was called an e-bike," said Simmons. " If you do an online search for an e-bike, I would say the majority of what you're going to find is not actually a legal e-bike in Illinois or 47 other states. [Retailers] are offering deals that are too good to pass up: [for a low price] you can get this amazing e-bike that goes 47 miles an hour. We really want to hammer home the point that - with few exceptions, being maybe adaptive bikes or higher-end brands - legal e-bikes are only available in adult sizes."
Along with the confusion between e-bikes and e-motos, another problem is a flurry of local ordinances which, according to Simmons, are well-meaning but short-sighted and often misinformed. Ordinances vary greatly, even between adjacent communities, including age restrictions, helmet requirements, policing, and speed limits on roads where e-bikes and/or e-motos are permitted.
Simmons said ATA would like to push for state legislation legally defining e-motos in the vehicle code. "We think this is a very first step, a significant step, that may look like establishing a new term. It may also be expanding an existing term. Some states have expanded their definition of a moped to include electric motor devices. That's where a lot of these e-motos fall. And then there likely would be driver's license and insurance requirements."
The second proposed solution is to rein in retailers by restricting e-motos from being advertised and establishing repercussions for retailers and manufacturers that do not comply with ordinances. The third proposed solution focused on education, with the goal of having students learn to safely navigate their community on foot and by bike. This would entail strengthening legislation passed in 2018, offering incentives for schools that participate in education programs, and working with the Illinois State Board of Education to develop the curriculum and standards, including content about e-devices.
Simmons then talked about ways that the people on the call could get involved. One was to join working groups to identify solutions tailored to different conditions and communities: urban, suburban, rural, and trail areas. Simmons also encouraged attendees to reach out to state elected officials, follow through on action alerts, and collaborate with Ride Illinois and ATA.
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