By Gus Saltonstall
Nearly 20 illegal mopeds were seized and multiple bikes ticketed in a New York Police Department operation that targeted four locations on the Upper West Side, including two Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers for migrants.
During the Friday raid, police issued 15 parking summonses and seized a total of 18 unregistered mopeds, including one that had previously been stolen from East Midtown, NYPD said.
You must have a driver license and register your moped with New York State to drive one on streets and highways.
The confiscation of the vehicles took place following community complaints to local police precincts and 311, saying that illegal mopeds and bikes “were creating a public safety hazard.”
NYPD did not specify the type of “public safety hazard,” but, in the past, it involved vehicles being illegally chained to poles.
Friday’s raid took place at the following locations.
- 205 and 207 West 85th Street: Amsterdam Residence Hall Migrant Center
- 117 West 70th Street: Stratford Arms Hotel Migrant Center
- 100 Freedom Place: Affordable Housing Building
- 250 West 63rd Street: NYCHA Building
This is not the first time that police have seized vehicles at migrant shelters. Mopeds and bicycles were targeted near the Stratford Arms Hotel in August and September of last year, after members of the community complained about vehicles parked in the area.
Subscribe to WSR’s free email newsletter here.
The cops literally can’t pull enough illegally unregistered mopeds off the street. But ticketing bikes locked to street poles? As someone who’s locked his bike to street poles since, oh, around 1962, I’m embarrassed.
Hoping they clean up this public safety hazard next.
https://www.westsiderag.com/2023/10/13/officers-doubled-parked-cars-clog-columbus-near-20th-precinct-its-us-nypd
Josh,
Pedestrian here, non-driver.
Nearly hit by Citibiker today. Not the first time.
I’m ok with NYPD vehicles.
Well, the law isn’t formulated on what you’re “OK” with.
Pedestrian, non-driver as well. Why not enforce traffic safety laws equally?
How do you issue a summons to a bicycle? No registration or license plate or other type of identifier.
I live near Stratford Arms migrant shelter. Our “new arrivals” wreaked havoc from day 1. Summer was especially brutal. The residents of the shelter would just pile their scooters on a sidewalk, unfold the chairs and smoke and chill around them. Sometimes do repairs, right there, on the sidewalk. They would do wheelies in front of M104 as they were all around the bus stop. Noise and litter behind imaginable even for NYC.
Some of them use these scooters for fun. Others work legally or illegally using those. Yet we keep funding their rent and food.
It is sad.
It got better once they switched to families but I see a lot of shady cars/vans with creeps on the street and lots of shopping bags these families are carrying.
Actions have consequences…this is what happens when a state & city brags encourages sanctuary to law breakers. Hochul & Adams loved pontificating until the buses started arriving.
To quote Bob Dylan, “when you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.” Unfortunately, they really don’t care. There are no meaningful consequences.
Everything is back as of this morning. Including repairs in the middle of the sidewalk.
Interestingly, heard from a neighbor that her relative is starting at AMDA in the fall – and apparently expects to be living on 70th Street.
If that is accurate, wonder if it means that AMDA is “reclaiming” the building for dorm use?
Which laws pertain to migrants? I thought if we were a sanctuary city laws don’t affect them? Can WSR do a story on what the expectations are for those seeking asylum and being guests in the neighborhood?
There is a difference between sanctuary and immunity. The migrants might be seeking asylum or sanctuary, but that doesn’t grant immunity from the law. That’s generally reserved for diplomats or law enforcement. The migrants are subject to all federal, state, and local laws while they are here.
Whether those laws are enforced for them while they are here is another matter entirely. Sounds like the NYPD is trying in some instances
‘Sanctuary city’ is largely empty rhetoric, it just means NYPD doesn’t hand migrants over to ICE, obviously city/state/federal laws still apply.
A sanctuary city is a municipality that limits or denies its cooperation with the national government in enforcing immigration law.
Local laws are applicable to everyone, not enforcing the laws a different story.
Hotel Newton on broadway/94th next please!
NYPD do this 24-7
Be relentless
The other day I was walking on the sidewalk in front of the Empire Hotel and a speeding moped came zooming from behind me and weaving around the pedestrians on the sidewalk the whole way down. He could have killed or harmed all of us. This is not uncommon anymore. Even speeding in the bike lanes or going through red lights is not good enough for some moped riders who refuse to obey traffic rules or use common sense.
Ah, but unless you scream at the rider they don’t know you mean business. I live right there and would have gone berserk if he rode near me or on the sidewalk. While I know it is risky to let these riders have it, it is not always a deliverista or a migrant. Often it’s a joy rider from the good ‘ole US of A, and the Citybike riders are no better than anyone else.
A neighbor, a woman, shouted at a delivery guy riding a motorized bike all the way down the block on the sidewalk. He cursed back at her and started to become belligerent. Screaming at these people can be risky for many pedestrians.
A few years ago, I believe I never saw a moped or scooter on the sidewalk. Now, I see them zooming along frequently. It needs to end.
Some of them ride the whole length of the block rather than just going onto the sidewalk at the point where they need to be. I also see people who aren’t even making deliveries riding on the sidewalk. This might be normal in the countries some of them come from and they simply brought that behavior to NYC. If better behavior isn’t enforced, we’re going to end up with a new permanent, dangerous sidewalk norm.
That said, I do find that some delivery people seem to be making a careful effort to defer to pedestrians. But others don’t.
Skooters Mopeds and full size dirt bikes are all over town with
no one policing their use.
Delivery work is one of the few ways migrants can earn money and have a shot at self-sufficiency. Many are duped into buying or renting their mopeds from dealers who assure them they’re street-legal. We shouldn’t be punishing people struggling to get a foothold here. Illegal mopeds should and could be blocked at the point of sale.
Create programs that give them a hand up. Don’t look the other way when it comes to laws. It benefits nobody to have laws that only pertain to certain classes of people and actually does long term harm.
Teach people how to succeed the right way. By allowing them to cheat, what does it say about your expectations of them? And they know you think that way as well.
Plenty of people using them are Americans. It’s a scofflaw issue. I couldn’t care less where someone came from, if their behavior presents a danger to others, they cannot continue doing it
Yes, we most definitely SHOULD be punishing them for breaking laws and endangering, or injuring, other people.
Neither ignorance of the law nor their livelihood struggle is justification for illegal operation of a motor vehicle.
Sorry, but the law needs to be enforced when it endangers others. Get rid of the mopeds and also go after whoever is selling them illegally.
Ken,
While I am sympathetic to those who are duped or unknowingly break rules, that is not the situation with all.
Certainly some – if not many – know they are not behaving responsibly.
Similarly, it would not be OK for you to travel to Malaysia or Peru or elsewhere – and ignore local customs or rules.
Gas powered motorcycles, whatever the size, are NOT legal sans plates and insurance.
Most of the machines under the coverers are likely such illegal motorcycles, not “mopeds”, which have pedals.
All throttle e-bikes that are speed limited are legal without plates/insurance. Those are e-mopeds, and none are pictured here.
I too loathe the explosion of electric bikes and moped and their manifestly unsafe driving habits ignoring traffic laws and endangering pedestrians. However, gas powered bikes under 50 cc that can only travel at under 30 mph are legal without plates and registration.
Rob:
“However, gas powered bikes under 50 cc that can only travel at under 30 mph are legal without plates and registration.”
News to me, do you have a source?
I have now checked the NY DMV website: “class B machines” (there is no engine size specified) are not to go faster than 30MPH, the driver must have a drivers license, the machines must be registered and insured, and the machines can only be driven in the right lane or on the shoulder — except for when turning left
Class C machines are limited to 20 MPH, but ALSO must be registered and insured, and driven only in the right lane (or on the shoulder), except when turning left. Apparently one doesn’t to need a drivers license for the class C machines, unlike class B machines.
So according to the DMV website you are incorrect.
www dot dmv dot org/ny-new-york/other-types.php
Anyhow: Small unlicensed gasoline powered motorcycles frequently go faster than 30MPH, whether or not the engine is less than 50ccs.
Also: I wrote “gasoline powered motorcycles” without commenting on engine size; that’s because I regularly see full sized motorcycles (ones readily able to do 90MPH+) without any plates
Whatever their problems may be they do not have a right to drive on sidewalks or put other people at risk. Enough is enough.
Here is a radical idea: eliminate all delivery that is not by foot. New York is dense enough that there is probably a decent version of most foods you would want within walking distance. And if there is not, you will survive. Mankind survived for many years without delivery wonton soup. I would be happy to pay a small premium since the delivery workers could not make as many deliveries per hour.
This would clear all of these delivery people off the street and make the city safer for all of us.
dont you dare stop me from getting my hand pulled noodles imported from 145th!!!
(Seriously though we need to be policing the actual undesirable activity of mopeds on the sidewalk, not trying to get rid of auxiliary conveniences including delivery or respectful people owning scooters and such)
YAY!!!!! Thank You NYPD. These confiscations should be at least once a month. Perhaps if enough of these illegal vehicles are confiscated on a regular basis, those that use them recklessly will decide it’s much easier to follow the rules.
Is there a difference between a moped and an ebike?
If only the cops would just post up somewhere on Amsterdam Avenue in a few spots and stop every moped in the bike lane, check for registration and issue summons and/or confiscate the moped….I won’t hold my breath
On the subject of illegality, there has also been an uptick of burglaries in the neighborhood, according to the 20th precinct
So many comments want scooters/mopeds to disappear because they “almost” hit pedestrians. Meanwhile, legally registered cars actually hit pedestrians all day – and do real damage. Putting a plate on a bike doesn’t make it safe, and almost (but not) hitting pedestrians doesn’t make bikes dangerous. Just say you don’t like to see other people find a better way to do things. If you want to solve traffic and safety, put everyone on scooters and ban cars.
John,
I’m a pedestrian and non-driver.
Bicyclists endanger me.
Bicyclists flout traffic rules – go through red lights, go the wrong way, ignore bike lanes….
Citibike users are the most egregious.
The city should pay for migrants to hangout and eat, indefinitely.