E-bike riders pump the brakes as Hinsdale ordinance cracks down

Hinsdale’s e-Bike ordinance leads to fewer citations, stronger compliance | ChicagoNOW

Hinsdale has been at the forefront of addressing the surge in e-bikes and e-scooters, a trend that has challenged communities across the Chicago region. Back in May 2025, the village moved quickly to pass a new ordinance, step up police enforcement, and launch a series of public education campaigns. Now, just a few months later, new data shows that the proactive approach is paying off — with a steep decline in citations, fewer complaints, and stronger compliance from riders.

HINSDALE – Hinsdale has been at the forefront of addressing the surge in e-bikes and e-scooters across the Chicago region.

In May, the village passed a new ordinance, stepped up police enforcement and launched a series of public education campaigns.

Just a few months later, new data shows the proactive approach is paying off with a sharp decline in citations, fewer complaints and stronger compliance from riders.

What we know:

Hinsdale was one of the first municipalities in the Chicago area to take early action on regulating e-bikes and e-scooters and the public safety hazards they pose, according to village officials.

Back in May, Hinsdale Police Department notified residents of the new ordinance on social media and what it requires:

• A low-speed electric bike must have a motor producing less than 750 watts, pedals and a permanent label indicating the bike’s classification, motor watts and top assisted speed.
• Riders operating e-scooters must be 18 or older.
• Dirt bikes and one-wheels are prohibited.
• E-scooters are authorized on most Hinsdale side streets and sidewalks for adults, but not in the business district or on Ogden and 55th streets.
• E-scooters cannot exceed speeds of 10 mph.

What they’re saying:

Hinsdale Village President Greg Hart joined ChicagoNow on Monday to discuss the impact of the new ordinance.

“Right around May or even when the weather was starting to warm, we noticed, due to a flurry of resident complaints and just our own observations, that there were a lot of individuals using these devices unlawfully, blowing through stop signs, going 50 miles per hour, for example, without a helmet. The devices themselves were not being regulated the way they needed,” Greg Hart said. “We took a hard look at this. We didn’t want in Hinsdale… to wait until a tragedy happened. We wanted to be decisive and take action and that’s why we passed an ordinance shortly thereafter.” 

Hinsdale police issued more than 150 citations through May, shortly after the ordinance took effect.

Since then, citations and warnings have fallen significantly: 32 in June, 22 in July and just six in August, according to village officials.

“It’s one thing to have a law on the books, but we gave our police department the ability to really send a message by giving warnings and citations. Within the first couple months of this ordinance being in place, the police issued over 150 warnings and citations,” Hart said. “We also coupled that with education. We didn’t want to just crack down for the sake of cracking down. We wanted to make sure these riders knew how to use these bikes lawfully…” 

Village officials said the ordinance, combined with education, public service announcements and enforcement, has reduced complaints and violations.

Most e-bikes in Hinsdale are legal Class I bikes, which “do not pose the same dangers that triggered passage of the ordinance,” according to officials.

To learn more about the ordinance, follow this link.