Happy dog days of summer. They got me thinking about ... dogs. More on that later. Some local controversies are top of mind.

Creative differences on e-bike laws

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In the last newsletter, I noted that Fox Lake enacted new e-bike laws that, among other things, required proof of insurance on the e-bike. Who has that? I learned that e-bike insurance at least is plenty available. Then I analyzed all the new e-bike laws coming out in the suburbs. My other favorite rule is where anybody can ride an e-bike on local paths if they don't use the motor. But who's watching? And do you know how hard it is to ride some of those e-bikes without the motor? Here's my analysis.​

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This after Hanover Park was slated to add an age limit for e-bike riders and bar them from local paths. It's the latest in my town-by-town round-up.

Talking in circles about roundabouts

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Meanwhile, a plan to reduce the number of lanes on Springinsguth Road, a main neighborhood throughway in Schaumburg, and turn a difficult intersection into a roundabout advanced this week. As always, the roundabout ignited fierce debate online, but official public feedback was nearly evenly split on it. It's in the news.

About those dogs: I was doing it wrong

We find dog walkers like this on trails all the time, right? We wish they'd always keep the dogs tight on them, and on the right side, but too often we see the leash stretched across the trail. All we can do is watch our speed, prepare to brake and proceed gingerly. But how about dogs chasing us out on the roads? Just outride them, right? Maybe not. And maybe not pepper spray, either. Here's what I found in the advice.​

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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:

Here's how the new Main Street in Lake Zurich is shaping up. Gardened bumpouts and a median now take a lot of space, leaving narrow passages for cars and only the sidewalk for bikes. I have new pictures in my round-up of road and trail work. I have to find out what's up with plans to improve the Busse Woods trail.

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At top: I don't think that's a legal e-bike on that sidewalk in Schaumburg, but that's a bike route?