The City Council held a hearing on Wednesday to discuss 23 bills aimed at curbing the use and stopping the sale of e-bikes that go faster than 20 miles per hour, as well as cracking down on the unsafe operation of micromobility devices.
“No New Yorker should have to wonder if their next commute will be their last. No New Yorker should have to worry about their loved ones coming home, and no New Yorker should have to choose between getting where they need to go and feeling safe on our streets,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said.
The bills range from banning the sale and use of class three e-bikes, which can go more than 20 miles an hour and are already illegal throughout the state, and creating a trade-in program for those who have the bikes already. Other bills are aimed at delivery app companies that City Council members allege prioritize fast deliveries over safety — like licensing delivery services like Uber Eats and DoorDash, mandating they have liability insurance and retain trip data.
Safe streets advocates said the bills strike a balance between protecting workers and safety.
“We famously think that 20 is plenty on our streets. And so, having these devices that are currently in our bike lanes capable of going 25, 28 mph, we think it makes sense to phase that out, starting with a point of sale ban,” said Ben Furnas, of Transportation Alternatives.
But there are some who think the package doesn’t go far enough, including victims who have been hit and injured by e-bikes. The group, the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, calls for the registration of e-bikes.
Renee Baruch was injured by an Auberge e-bike in 2023.
“I do not know what the name is of the individual who hit me. I do know it was an e-bike,” she said.
E-bike collisions have risen this year as cycling has exploded in the city: with over 600,000 cycling trips a day, collisions are up over 30% through the first half of the year with over 500 collisions involving e-bikes and scooters year to date.
However, when asked if they knew how many micromobility devices were out there, city Department of Transportation officials admitted there was a reason they didn’t have good data, which drew jeers from the e-bike alliance members in the audience.
The hearing comes amid the recent death of a teen on an illegal e-bike near City Hall, a teenager killed on a pedal-assist Citi Bike, and a collision on the Queensboro Bridge that killed a cyclist and an illegal e-bike rider.
Those deaths are despite the NYPD issuing more summonses to e-bike and scooter riders than last year. The agency said it has already been doing enforcement at brick-and-mortar stores selling illegal bikes, and the city sent cease and desist letters to online retailers as well.