Lombard trustees approve first reading of ordinance regulating low-speed electric scooters

Lombard — The Lombard Village Board of Trustees on May 1 approved on first reading an ordinance regulating low‑speed electric scooters, allowing their use under new local limits while banning them on certain high‑speed and downtown streets.

The ordinance responds to an Illinois public act that took effect Aug. 9, 2024, which generally prohibits scooter use in municipal jurisdictions unless the local government explicitly authorizes it and sets minimum equipment and use rules, Police Chief Graige told trustees during a presentation before the vote.

Chief Graige said state law defines a low‑speed electric scooter as a vehicle weighing under 100 pounds with two or three wheels, handlebars, a floorboard intended for standing, and a top speed of 10 mph. Under that law, riders must be 18 or older; scooters must carry lighting and brakes visible to 500 feet; riders may not carry a package preventing one hand on the handlebars; and scooters may not be operated on state highways or on streets with posted limits above the statutory threshold.

The village ordinance mirrors those baseline state requirements but is more restrictive in two key ways: it lowers the maximum roadway speed where scooters may be used from 35 mph (the state baseline) to 30 mph for Lombard roadways, and it bars scooter operation on any four‑lane roadway. The ordinance also prohibits scooter use in a set of downtown blocks — including St. Charles between Elizabeth and Martha, Lincoln between St. Charles and Michael Maguire, Park Avenue between Orchard Terrace and Michael Maguire, Main Street between Grove and Parkside, and Elizabeth Street between St. Charles and Michael Maguire Drive — areas the presentation said are already regulated for other devices such as skateboards and rollerblades.

Chief Graige told the board the goal is safety rather than punishment. The village’s implementation plan calls for a public‑education campaign to begin in early May, distribution of informational materials to schools beginning around May 12, and officers to begin contact and education of scooter riders on May 15, with formal citations remaining an enforcement option but not the first course of action.

Trustees voted to approve the ordinance on first reading by roll call. The board also approved a consent agenda earlier in the meeting that included routine financial approvals, license and vendor actions, vehicle purchases, and fireworks agreements.

Discussion points during the item focused on safety in the downtown area and around events, how sidewalks are treated under the ordinance (the proposed prohibition applies to roadways; sidewalk operation is not prohibited by the text presented), and coordination with school districts to reach students and families before summer break. Chief Graige said there is no grandfather provision in state law that would automatically exempt existing scooter owners from the ordinance and that outreach is intended to bring owners into compliance.

The ordinance passed first reading; further procedural steps required for final adoption were not specified in the meeting record.

Votes at a glance - Consent agenda (items a–g, h–k as listed in the agenda): approved by roll call. - Ordinance amending the Lombard traffic code to regulate low‑speed electric scooters (first reading): approved by roll call. - Motion to adjourn: approved by roll call.

The board ended its regular business without convening an executive session.