PEKIN (25News Now) – People who rely on a gas-powered bicycle to get around the City of Pekin will now need to find an alternative mode of transportation.
Tuesday night, council members ultimately agreed with Pekin Police Chief Seth Ranney that the city needed a solution to the controversial gas-powered bikes, and that solution is an outright ban. Council passed the ordinance 5 to 2, with Rick Hilst and Jake Fletcher voting against it.
Chief Ranney said his department has struggled with enforcing gas-powered biking rules for about two years. He’s also heard a variety of complaints from residents and business owners.
One of those complaints is the noise. Something Alyssa Hayes, a mother of two, knows all too well.
“Sometimes it’s like 2 in the morning or 3 in the morning, and they just go down the street real loud; sometimes they go back and forth. I don’t know if they’re going to and from work or doing deliveries or whatnot, but it’s very loud,” said Hayes.
Pekin leaders allowed motorized bikes several years ago. Ranney said that form of transport became a popular and convenient way to get around on a budget and without a driver’s license. However, he said not all bikers follow the rules of the road and disregard other vehicles and pedestrians.
Hali Hardin lives near downtown Pekin. She said she disagrees with banning all gas-powered bikes because not everyone can afford a car.
Hardin believes city staffers could have found a solution that benefited all parties, including the bikers.
“Maybe [the city] should get some kind of license for them like you have to with a car; take a test to be able to follow the laws,” said Hardin.
Chief Ranney said he tried extra patrol and enforcement for six months, but that didn’t solve the problem. He said an outright ban on gas-powered bikes was the last resort.
“Ultimately, our job is public safety, and after trying to do everything that we felt like we could do from a law enforcement standpoint, we have to look and see what outweighs what, and we felt like we had gotten to that level,” said Ranney.
The new ban goes into effect next week.
Pekin police warn bikers in violation of the ban before they issue a fine of between $100 and $500, depending on the number of offenses. Officers can also impound a person’s bike on the third and fourth offenses.
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