CITY COUNCIL HOLDS HEARING ON BILLS LEGALIZING E-BIKES AND E-SCOOTERS
New York, NY-
- Today, the City Council's Committee on Transportation will hold a hearing on a package of bills that would legalize electric scooters and electric bikes in New York City. The legislation aims to provide New Yorkers with sustainable and safe transit alternatives as the public transit system continues to crumble and streets are increasingly congested.
Intro 1250
legalizes e-scooters with speeds capped at 15mph, and would make e-scooters subject to the same regulations as cyclist rules and procedures within the City of New York.
Intro 1264
legalizes certain e-bikes to operate within the City of New York, with speeds capped at 20 miles per hour.
Intro 1265
establishes an e-bike conversion program for throttle-operated electric bicycles to change to pedal-assist electric bicycles.
Intro 1266
creates a shared e-scooter pilot program within the City to determine the impact and need for e-scooters as an alternative form of transportation. The area of the pilot program will be determined by the Department of Transportation, with priority given to transit deserts inthe outer boroughs.
"This legislation advances transit equity, and stops the daily assault on our immigrant delivery workers, especially as they brave the brutal cold to deliver our meals. As New York becomes increasingly expensive, it is often working class communities that find themselves pushed to outer boroughs, with little access to mass transit. Adding these two innovative modes of transportation takes pressure off our subways and cars off our streets, and will bring workers to and from their homes more efficiently. I am proud to sponsor these bills, and thank all the advocates for their tireless efforts in pushing this vital conversation forward," said Council Member Rafael Espinal.
"We have the opportunity to take a step in a positive direction by legalizing and regulating e-bikes and e-scooters. It is the job of the City Council to update our laws to reflect the evolving landscape of sustainable transportation options. As the Chair of the Committee on Transportation, it is my utmost priority to ensure that 8.5 million residents and 65 million tourists per year have efficient, safe and affordable mobility options such as e-bikes and e-scooters to travel around the City of New York and take our City into the future of transportation," said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chair of the Committee on Transportation. "I thank my Council colleagues and the Justice Delivered Coalition for working to make this legislation a reality. Furthermore, once e-bikes and e-scooters become legal, our delivery working community, mostly immigrant New Yorkers, will no longer be subject to penalties while trying to perform their jobs."
"New Yorkers need transit options. For too many New Yorkers public transit is unaffordable and inaccessible- whether from rising fares or living in "transit deserts." Intro 1250 would legalize e-scooters capped at 15 MPH, making them among the lowest speed devices on our streets and give DOT 120 days to develop additional safety regulations. The scooters would have to be ridden in bike lanes and not on sidewalks or on the streets if there are no bike lanes. E-scooters are a safe, affordable and environmentally friendly way to travel within the community and access subway lines. We have transportation crisis in the city. In the Bronx, we have traffic jams like we've never experienced before. If we're going to see a reduction of the use of cars on the road, we need to have an alternative," said Council Member Fernando Cabrera.
Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo announced his 2019 Executive Budget, which contains provisions to authorize municipalities around the state to allow e-bikes and e-scooters within their jurisdiction. Under the proposed budget, e-scooter speeds would be capped at 30 mph and e-bikes at 20 mph, and e-bikes would have to yield to motor vehicles. The provisions would have to be approved by the state legislature.
Governor Cuomo also announced at the beginning of this month that the L train would not be fully shut down, as was initially scheduled to begin in April. While the news came as a relief to many North Brooklyn commuters, the modified Canarsie Tunnel rehabilitation plan Cuomo proposed will likely result in frequent night and weekend service disruptions, leaving people with irregular job schedules - many of them low-income and immigrant workers - with few alternatives. E-scooters and e-bikes can help supplement train service, and research has also show they can also serve as vital connectors for people who live far away from transit hubs.
Despite Mayor de Blasio's call to hold businesses that use e-bikes accountable, the enforcement crackdown has fallen hardest on individual delivery people. According to the
latest data
from the NYPD,
police officers issued 669 e-bike tickets, 1,383 moving violations, and seized 910 e-bikes in 2018.
The NYPD currently confiscates e-bikes and fines riders $500 for operating their vehicles on city streets, which represents a significant financial burden for these delivery workers.
