Roll Smart, Ride Safe!
A plain-language, kid-friendly guide to Batavia's new e-bike, e-scooter, and micromobility rules — built for the riders, written for their grown-ups.
Start here
Hi! Hop on.
Batavia has new rules for electric bikes, scooters, skateboards, and other e-mobility devices. They sound fancy, but they boil down to one idea: get around safely, look out for everyone else, and have a great ride.
This page is a friendlier version of the full ordinance — meant for kids who actually ride and the grown-ups who buy them their wheels.
- Where you can ride
- How fast you can go
- How old you have to be
- What safety gear you need
- What happens if you break the rules
Know your ride.
The Lineup
E-Bikes
Real bikes you can also pedal — with a battery to help. Illinois sorts them into three classes:
Class 1: pedal-assist, motor stops at 20 mph.
Class 2: throttle, up to 20 mph, no pedaling needed.
Class 3: pedal-assist up to 28 mph (16+ & helmet).
E-Scooters
Stand-up scooters with handlebars and a floorboard. Under 100 lbs, 2 or 3 wheels, electric.
A low-speed e-scooter tops out at 10 mph. Illinois says you must be 18+ to operate one.
18+ to rideMicromobility
Electric skateboards, one-wheels, and other lightweight, low-speed personal-mobility gadgets.
Top assisted speed: 20 mph. Some are sidewalk-friendly (Class 1, ≤ 10 mph), others are not.
Class mattersE-Motos
Dirt-bike-shaped electric rides — basically motorcycles. Not legal e-bikes.
Motors over 750 W, throttle past 20 mph, or no working pedals = e-moto. Banned on every public street, sidewalk, path, and park in Batavia.
Private property onlyPick your ride.
Tap a chip below to see exactly what's allowed for that device and class — speed limit, minimum age, and whether you can ride on the sidewalk. Use arrow keys to flip through.
E-Bike Class 1 · pedal-assist
Streets and roadways where regular bikes are allowed, dedicated bike lanes, and bike paths or trails (mind any posted trail speed limits).
Where can you ride?
Streets & roadways
Where regular bikes can ride. All e-bike classes welcome.
Designated bike lanes
The painted lanes on the road, made for two-wheelers.
Bike paths & trails
Watch for posted speed limits — some paths have their own.
Sidewalks
E-bikes: NO (any class). Class 1 e-scooters & micromobility (≤ 10 mph): sidewalks are OK. Class 2 (up to 20 mph): not on sidewalks.
State highways
Big, fast roads. Off-limits for e-scooters & micromobility.
Roads posted above 35 mph
For e-scooters and micromobility, anything faster than 35 mph is a no.
Seven safety superpowers.
If you're under 16, wear a helmet.
Every device. Every ride. Doesn't matter if it's a quick lap to your friend's house. A helmet is the single most important piece of gear on the whole bike, scooter, or board.
Lights on, after dark.
A bright white headlight in front, visible from 500 ft, and a red taillight on the back (steady or blinking), also visible from 500 ft. Pro move? Leave them on during the day too.
Obey the signs.
Same traffic signals, same stop signs, same rules as cars and bikes. Always yield to pedestrians.
Never ride impaired.
Riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal on any e-mobility device — full stop.
No reckless riding.
Doing dangerous stuff that could hurt you or someone else is against the rules — even if nobody actually gets hurt.
Hands on bars.
Keep at least one hand on the handlebars at all times. Don't carry stuff that gets in the way of your grip.
Don't tamper.
No removing speed governors. No modifying your device past what the law allows. Factory-fast is plenty fast.
Bonus: be kind.
Smile, wave, slow down for grown-ups walking dogs and kids on scooters. Sharing the path is a superpower.
Many "kid" bikes are not actually e-bikes.
A lot of the dirt-bike-shaped electric rides marketed to teens are e-motos — out-of-class electric vehicles with more than 750 watts of motor or throttles that push past 20 mph. They are prohibited on every public street, sidewalk, parking lot, bike path, park, and any other public property in Batavia.
- Built on a bike-style frame, but with a real throttle
- Capable of more than 20 mph on motor power alone
- Motor output greater than 750 watts
- E-motos, minibikes, and pocket bikes — all banned from public spaces
Where can they go? Private property, with permission, only.
Fines grow with repeats.
The goal isn't to write tickets — it's to keep everybody safe. But repeated violations get expensive, and your device can be impounded.
Watch the squad.
The whole squad, in their own words. Tap any card to watch full-screen with sound, or download the HQ video to share on social.
Tap · Watch · Share
Exemptions & labels.
Who's exempt?
These rules don't apply to:
- Motorized wheelchairs used by people with disabilities
- Electric personal assistance mobility devices, as defined by Illinois state law
Device labeling
Required so riders and officers can quickly tell which rules apply:
- Every e-bike must be labeled with its class (1, 2, or 3) and its wattage
- Every e-scooter must be labeled with its wattage
Meet the crew.
The faces who keep Batavia rolling smart and riding safe — the characters on screen and the people behind the scenes.
Officer Liz Webb & River
City of Batavia Police — your friendly safety patrol and her K-9 partner, on hand in every episode.
Matt Myers
Drama instructor at Rotolo Middle School — he organized the student cast, ran their lines, and helped block every shoot.
Lori Botterman
City of Batavia — Communication Manager, and the driving force behind the campaign.
Gary Ricke
Designed the video campaign with Lori, built this landing page, and oversaw Jack's editing internship.
Jack Whetsel
Video editor who cut every episode — a student intern from Batavia High School.