Hey Chicago!
Last week, we covered the Ultimate Guide To Parking In Chicago. This week, we wanted to talk about two things happening that may soon affect how you get around the city.
First, Illinois is about to pass a new state law on electric bikes or scooters. While this is happening, Chicago is adding protected bike lanes to some of its busiest streets, which has started some loud arguments in neighborhoods like Brighton Park and West Town over parking, traffic, and who the city is designing these streets for.
If you ride an e-bike, use a Divvy, or travel through Archer or Grand Avenue, both of these changes affect you.
Before we cover today’s topic, we’re the Ben Lalez Team. We’ve been helping families buy and sell homes across this city for over a decade, and every week we put out an article about something useful or interesting about the city. Subscribe to our newsletter if you want these in your inbox.
With that out of the way, let’s get started.
What The New Law Says
Illinois is about to set official rules for electric bikes, e-scooters, and similar devices. The law is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027, and here’s the easiest way to understand it: the faster and more powerful your device, the more it gets treated like a motor vehicle. The slower it is, the more it gets treated like a regular bike.
Here are the basic details.
Standard e-bikes
If your e-bike assists while you pedal and tops out around 20 mph, you need to be at least 15 to ride it legally. The same applies if your bike has a throttle instead of pedal-assist. If it can reach 28 mph with pedal assist, the minimum age moves to 16.
For all of these, you can ride on streets, bike lanes, multi-use paths, and trails. You cannot ride on sidewalks. Sidewalk riding on e-bikes in Chicago has been widespread and is now specifically off-limits.
Faster e-bikes and electric motorbikes
If your device can go faster than 28 mph, the rules change significantly. You will need a driver’s license, vehicle registration, a title, and insurance. These devices are only allowed on roads, not on bike paths or sidewalks. Think of it the same way you’d think of a motorcycle, because under this law, that’s essentially what they are.
E-scooters
Some scooters on the market right now can hit 50 mph. Under the new law, those get capped at 28 mph. High-speed scooters would be allowed on bike lanes and roads with speed limits up to 35 mph. Lower-speed scooters that top out at 20 mph are also getting a tweak: the minimum rider age drops from 18 to 16.
Breaking these rules can get your device impounded, on top of a fine.
Why this exists
The law came out of a recognition that the existing rules didn’t keep up with the devices. A scooter capable of 50 mph has nothing in common with a regular bicycle, but it was essentially being regulated in the same category.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has been among those pushing for the change, arguing that faster, heavier devices needed rules that matched what they actually are.
For most people on a normal e-bike or Divvy, this law mostly confirms what you should already be doing. The bigger changes affect people using high-speed devices, especially delivery and gig workers, who will face new licensing and insurance requirements.
Chicago’s Bike Lane Expansion
Separate from Springfield, Chicago has been adding protected bike lanes on major corridors as part of a broader push to reduce traffic deaths. The city reported a nearly 30 percent drop in traffic fatalities between 2021 and 2025, and the Chicago Department of Transportation credits redesigned streets as part of that.
As you probably know, not everyone is happy about the bike lanes.
Archer Avenue in Brighton Park
On the Southwest Side, the city installed protected bike lanes on Archer Avenue between 47th Street and Western Avenue, using concrete barriers to separate cyclists from traffic.
Residents and business owners pushed back hard, with the main complaints being reduced parking, slowed traffic, and more difficulty for customers to reach local shops. More than 3,000 people signed a petition demanding changes.
CDOT responded by adding parking spaces back near key locations and adjusting some intersections. The protected lane is still there. The opposition wasn’t enough to remove it, but it was enough to get some modifications done.
Grand Avenue in West Town
West Town’s version of the fight is about bus boarding islands. The city redesigned Grand Avenue so that buses stop in the travel lane instead of pulling to the curb, which means drivers wait behind stopped buses rather than going around them.
Business owners and residents have been organizing weekly protests over the congestion this creates. Supporters point to crash data showing the corridor has become safer since the changes were implemented. Meanwhile, the debate continues.
What This Means For You
If you ride an e-bike or scooter
Figure out how fast your device goes. If it’s under 28 mph, the new law requires you to stay off sidewalks and use bike lanes and streets. If it’s over 28 mph, you’ll need to think about licensing and insurance before January 2027.
If you drive
Archer and Grand Avenue have been redesigned, and those changes look like they’re here to stay. If you drive those corridors regularly, you’re going to have to get used to it. More importantly, additional corridors across the city are also in the pipeline.
If you own a business on one of these streets
The most critical time for you to take action is before construction starts. If you want loading zones, short-term parking, or delivery access built into the design, that conversation needs to happen early with your alderperson’s office and CDOT.
How These Two Things Connect
The state law and the bike lane expansion are not coincidental. The new rules direct low-speed e-bike riders onto streets and bike lanes and off sidewalks. Chicago is building out the protected bike lane network those riders will have to use. Both policies are moving in the same direction, which means more riders on more types of devices in lanes that previously saw mostly traditional cyclists.
We expect that it’ll take time for everyone to get used to the new flow of traffic. Riders will need to adjust habits, drivers will need to adjust their awareness, and enforcement will need to catch up. The law creates clarity on paper, but how quickly people adapt is another discussion.
The neighborhood fights in Brighton Park and West Town will likely affect how future neighborhoods will be implemented. When communities push back enough, designs get modified by the city, so submitting feedback before construction starts is when residents actually have the most influence.
The Timeline
The new law takes effect January 1, 2027.
That gives riders 6 months to determine which category their device falls into and, if needed, get compliant. Chicago’s bike lane program continues in the meantime, with more corridors planned beyond Archer and Grand.
If you’re looking at a home in a neighborhood where these projects are in the pipeline, you’ll want to do a little digging to see how the streets will look after the modifications.
What’s the takeaway from this?
Well, besides having to choose a side when it comes to the bike lane debate, it’s also important to know that buying a home isn’t just about the property – it’s also about the neighborhood and future development plans.
If you’re thinking about buying a home and the day-to-day driving, parking, or transit situation in a specific neighborhood is an important consideration, give us a call.
We’ll be happy to help you figure out all the moving parts so there are no surprises.
Until next week!
