McHenry council adopts ordinance regulating scooters, broadens ban to single-wheel devices

The McHenry City Council on Monday approved an ordinance to regulate electric scooters and other motorized recreational devices, allowing state-defined low-speed scooters (those that travel no more than 10 miles per hour) on sidewalks while requiring a valid driver’s license for faster scooters and expanding the local ban on motorized recreational vehicles to include single-wheel devices.

City Police Chief Burke, who presented the proposal, said the state statute fixes the definition for low-speed electric scooters and that “the vast majority of them … travel well over the speed of 10 miles per hour, which means by definition, they don't fit the state's definition of a low-speed electric scooter.” He described the proposal as an effort to follow state rules for low-speed devices while using McHenry’s home-rule authority to regulate non-low-speed scooters.

The ordinance adopted as item 6A makes two main distinctions: low-speed scooters (≤10 mph) may be used on sidewalks if riders yield to pedestrians; non-low-speed scooters (11 mph and greater) must follow roadway rules like a bicycle, are not allowed on sidewalks, and require a valid driver’s license to operate. The council also required helmets for operators under 18 on non-low-speed scooters.

Council members and residents pressed for enforcement and clarity about other motorized devices. Alderman Miller said many motorized skateboards and single-wheel electric unicycles are circulating in residential areas and asked how the ordinance would treat them. The council voted to amend the ordinance’s motorized recreational-vehicle definition to change “two or more wheels” to “one or more wheels,” which brings single-wheel electric unicycles and similar devices inside the existing prohibition for motorized recreational vehicles on city property, streets, sidewalks and parks.

Public commenters described frequent unsafe behavior on and near the Riverwalk. Paul Lambert of 3530 Waukegan Road said he saw an electric dirt bike cross a parking lot onto the Riverwalk and asked how enforcement would work; Chief Burke replied those vehicles are currently prohibited and the police will enforce the ordinance. Hans Herman, a Riverwalk resident, said riders “are way faster than 10 or 12 miles an hour” and warned that someone could be struck and fall into the river.

Council discussion also covered the limits of local authority. Chief Burke and staff noted the council could not lower the state-set minimum age for low-speed scooters below 18, but as a home-rule municipality the city could set the operator requirements for faster scooters. Council members asked staff to use outreach tools — social media, utility bill inserts and local news — to educate residents about the new rules and how to report violations.

Clerk roll call showed the motion to adopt the ordinance with the one-word amendment (changing the wheel-count to 1 or more) passed; the council then moved to implement outreach and to return with any needed technical changes at a future meeting.

The ordinance is effective on passage; the council signaled it will monitor compliance and revisit definitions or enforcement if new device types or safety concerns arise.