Every day, vulnerable New Yorkers – from seniors with groceries and kids going to school to visually impaired individuals using cane and law-abiding traditional cyclists – are forced to share sidewalks and crosswalks with out-of-control e-bikes.

Irresponsible, unregistered, and unlicensed e-bike riders who are blatantly flouting basic traffic laws at speeds of up to 30 mph have turned the city into a dangerous – even deadly – obstacle course for pedestrians and traditional cyclists. 

Across the Hudson, New Jersey is taking sensible steps to protect pedestrians by requiring e-bike registrations, insurance coverage and age limits, But the Mamdani administration has moved in the opposite direction, blocking the New York City Police Department (NYPD) from issuing criminal summons to e-bike operators who violate the law.

Last week, NYC Common Sense challenged that decision, suing the mayor and the city on behalf of eight plaintiffs – including e-bike crash victims, seniors with mobility challenges, and a legally blind individual.Members of the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance (NYC-EVSA) joined attorney Jim Walden, chair of NYC Common Sense, on the steps of City Hall to announce the suit and demand that the city adopt a policy to protect pedestrians. 

“The mayor’s power does not include ignoring public safety,” Walden rightly said. “Officers need the discretion to issue criminal summonses when e-bike drivers put pedestrians at risk.”

The public safety concerns in the lawsuit are backed by alarming data. A 2024 study found e-bike injuries increased across the nation from roughly 1,600 in 2018 to more than 23,000 in 2022. Researchers at NYU Langone found that micromobility vehicles accounted for roughly 7% of traumatic brain injury admissions, with nearly one-third of those patients needing ICU treatment.

The complaint notes that during the NYPD’s criminal enforcement initiative, which lasted from April 2025 and March 2026, e-bike crashes, injuries, and fatalities declined by roughly 30%. But the truth is, the criminal summons option as merely a band-aid in the absence of what is truly needed to curb the e-bike menace – a comprehensive system that allows riders who break the law to be identified and held accountable.  

That is exactly what Priscilla’s Law aims to accomplish. The bill, named after Chinatown preschool teacher Priscilla Loke, 69, who was killed in 2023 by a rider on an electric Citi Bike who ran a red light and fled, would require e-bikes to be registered and have visible license plates. The rider who killed Loke was allowed by police to leave the scene and reportedly received nothing but a traffic summons for causing her death. 

A version of Priscilla’s Law has been introduced at both the city and state levels. The City Council hasn’t held a hearing on this measure since 2024, allowing it to be bottled up at the insistence of powerful special interests. If the mayor and the Council refuse to protect pedestrians by regulation e-bikes, the state Legislature and Governor Hochul must act. 

E-bikes admittedly can provide an efficient form of transportation and are essential for thousands of delivery workers who rely on them to make a living. To be clear, requiring a license plate isn’t about punishing those individuals, it’s about ensuring accountability – the same way we regulate cars, trucks, and motorcycles on the same city streets. 

New Yorkers shouldn’t be forced to choose between embracing new forms of transportation and feeling safe on our sidewalks. This city is constantly adapting and evolving. It is reasonable and realistic to provide support for delivery workers, encourage sustainable mobility, and still expect basic rules of the road to be enforced.

Every New Yorker deserves protection under the law. It’s time for our elected officials to start treating e-bikes like the public safety crisis they’ve become. 

Janet Schroeder is the director and co-founder of the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance (NYC-EVSA), Andrew Fine is the Alliance’s legislative director.