By Charlotte Robertson
Last month, with great fanfare, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed state legislation intended “to raise awareness about the safe use of e-bikes and products that contain lithium-ion batteries and protect New Yorkers,” she announced in a press release.
The eight-bill package, set to go into effect in January, 2025, makes important strides in the area of battery safety. It also requires mopeds to be registered at the point of sale, and alters Department of Motor Vehicle accident reports to include a new category for e-vehicle collisions with pedestrians, so they can be tracked.
What is not included in the package, to the consternation of some public-safety advocates, is “Priscilla’s Law.”
Named for Priscilla Loke, a teacher who was killed in Chinatown in 2023, by the driver of an electric Citi Bike who fled the scene, Priscilla’s Law would have required all e-bikes to be registered and display license plates. It was introduced by Queens City Councilmember Robert Holden last fall, and accrued 34 co-sponsors — the amount required to trigger an automatic hearing in the City Council.
But the hearing never happened. According to Holden, two councilmembers, Rita Joseph and Sandy Nurse, rescinded their support after Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit organization whose stated mission is “to reclaim New York City from cars,” wrote a letter to every councilmember, urging them to reject Holden’s bill, leaving it at a legislative standstill.
West Side Rag reached out to Holden, Transportation Alternatives, and the NYC e-Vehicle Safety Alliance (NYC-EVSA), a grassroots organization of pedestrians, many of whom have been hit by e-vehicles, for insight into the opposing sides of the e-bike-registration controversy.
The Arguments
“By licensing e-bikes, bikers can be held accountable for accidents,” Holden contended in a call with West Side Rag. Without a clearly identifiable license plate, reporting bike accidents is difficult, he added, as it is not uncommon for riders to leave the scene.
“Priscilla’s Law is clearly part of a much more concentrated war on bikes generally,” said Alexa Sledge, director of communications for Transportation Alternatives, also in a phone interview with the Rag. “E-bike licensing would be both ineffective and a bureaucratic nightmare … ” she added.
Those were the reasons local Councilmember Gale Brewer cited for not signing onto Holden’s bill. “I do not believe a blanket e-bike registration rule will make streets safer,” she said, “nor is NYC DOT [Department of Transportation] equipped to establish, manage, or enforce it.” Brewer did support the lithium-ion battery safety bills.
Carol Hilfer, who was hit by an e-bike on June 24 of this year, believes that e-bikes should be treated differently than regular bicycles. “An e-bike, to me, is just a motorcycle. It’s not a bicycle.”
Hilfer was crossing Central Park West at 90th Street this past June when an e-biker ran a red light and knocked her to the ground. The resulting hematoma on her leg took weeks to heal. “The idiot on the e-bike — it was a Citi Bike — he’s got earbuds in his ears, oblivious to everything,” she said. Once she managed to stand up, the biker sped away.
Marian Lewis, 85, another e-bike hit-and-run victim, agreed that e-bikes pose a new danger to pedestrians. “I’ve timed [e-bikes] on Central Park West [to see] how long it takes one in the bike lane to go one block. It’s just a couple of seconds. They’re so fast.” In March 2021, an e-biker collided with Lewis on 93rd Street and Central Park West, breaking her hip. The biker fled and Lewis was rushed into emergency surgery, remaining in the hospital for eight days before being transferred to rehab.
“This bill is really trying to bring order and get the chaos out of our city,” Holden told the Rag. “If you’re reckless, if you hit people, you should be held accountable.”
Sledge set forth the following argument: “The more people on the road riding bikes at any point in time, the safer that area is going to be for people on bikes, because cars are used to seeing them. Licensing e-bikes would dissuade ridership and, therefore, make the streets more dangerous.”
“Well, why would it dissuade ridership?” demanded Janet Schroeder, co-founder of NYC-EVSA. “Because someone doesn’t want to be held accountable for their egregious riding? Then those are exactly the people that should be dissuaded,” she said.
E-bike licensing could lead to discriminatory police stops, Sledge said. She pointed out that a large percentage of e-bike users are delivery workers, who are predominantly immigrants and men of color: “If we institute this bike licensing law, that’s giving a brand-new power to the NYPD to allow them to pull over anyone they want who’s riding a bike. Time and time again, when it comes to traffic stops…we’ve seen it’s been done in a racist way.”
“Transportation Alternatives is playing the race card,” Councilmember Holden responded. “[The NYPD] is going to stop bike riders breaking the law, period. They’re not going to distinguish between the color of their skin,” he said.
As for other safety measures the city could adopt, Sledge suggested better protections for delivery workers. “If you’re a worker for DoorDash, and DoorDash is requiring that you do what is safely a 20-minute bike ride in 12 minutes — that’s not acceptable,” she said.
She also called for the city to build more protected bike lanes, which would deter riders from biking on the sidewalk, she said. “The root of the problem of e-bike safety is that there is not enough space for bikers,” she said. “With these massive levels of density and not enough space for anyone in our streets except for people who are driving cars, this problem becomes even more serious.”
According to Sledge, cars pose a much greater threat to pedestrians than bikes, and if more people rode bikes, less people would drive cars.
Holden, on the other hand, expressed skepticism about waning car use. “There’s record registration for cars in New York City,” the councilmember said. He argued that more bike lanes do not prevent bikers from breaking the law, but licensing and registration will.
“An e-bike doesn’t have any restrictions. You’re really a phantom — you’re invisible,” he said. “That’s why so many of them don’t adhere to any traffic regulations at all. You need penalties,” he added.
Holden told the Rag that “a lot of councilmembers get, you know, campaign donations from Transportation Alternatives,” and that’s why they hesitate to support his bill. “I’m not represented or paid for,” he said. “I’m doing this for the cause.”
Jacob deCastro, interim associate director of communications for Transportation Alternatives, denied these allegations in a phone interview with the Rag. He pointed out that Transportation Alternatives is a 501C organization and is, therefore, prohibited from contributing to political organizations.
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“An e-bike doesn’t have any restrictions. You’re really a phantom — you’re invisible,” he said. “That’s why so many of them don’t adhere to any traffic regulations at all”
Completely dishonest and untrue:
Bikes have to do what it takes to survive with next to no infrastructure devoted to them. If no bike lane is available, would you rather risk your life for a deliverable or occasionally ride on the sidewalk?
-Now understand that less that 3% of NYC roads have protected bike lanes, all while drivers have 3 million free parking spots donated to them.
-Now understand that 10k deliveries reach the UWS every day. If residents here are concerned about safety, you’d think they would want to protect the people who work here, not just those who live and park here.
Im a lifetime New Yorker. I agree with you completely Ulrika, you are not alone. Blame the bad apples and enforce our existing laws to tame them, stop blaming the bikes and stop calling for a nonsense money grabbing regulation that is not necessary.
And the “bikes” don’t have “to do” anything–it is the RIDERS who are responsible for what the bikes do.
Yet another commenter whining that the bicyclists are the victims here! As someone who has been knocked over and found herself injured – twice! – by ebike riders who ignored traffic regulations, and as someone who has had more close calls of being flattened and run over than she cares to think of, unfortunately I don’t have a lot of sympathy for your views.
In my neighborhood (UES) there are beautiful, wide bike lanes, and they still ride on the sidewalk–a lot!
Ulrika:
Perhaps you are new to NYC?
Prior to NYC allowing ebikes, there was local restaurant delivery, typically within 25 blocks. Residents who were homebound or ill could easily get food.
Now the healthy wealthy are ordering food routinely! And seem to think food delivery is an “entitlement”
I am a pedestrian, bus, subway rider. I don’t drive.
It is bicyclists – particularly Citibike – who are the most dangerous to me.
Bicyclists routinely go through red lights, go the wrong way. And many ignore bike lanes.
Also bicycles don’t reduce vehicles – bicyclists reduce bus and subway use.
Ulrika,
Actually many people do not get delivery – they cannot afford delivery or perhaps don’t want to support powerful corporations.
Honestly it is astonishing to see so many privileged people in NYC – ordering food all the time, needing sushi from 40 blocks away etc. And so many who believe city infrastructure and services should be prioritized to support that privilege.
There are people who work here who drive and use those “free” parking spots. But apparently you hate the idea of everyone but those who have the privilege of using Uber and Lyft habitually being able to have one seat rides to their destinations that are safe, reliable and comfortable. Those parking spots are what keep Manhattan from becoming a bigger college campus like bubble than it already is.
Bikes have plenty of infrastructure devoted to them on the UWS. But they have become the take out food expressway. This shows the intellectual dishonesty of the anti car crowd. They want fast speeds and one seat rides for themselves, but not anyone else. It shows with e-bikes, it shows with how they call commuter railroads a luxury service on social media, it shows with how they are quick to complain about “high subsidies” for transit they do not use. Not only that, but the growth of biking is a fad that will eventually end. Everyone thinks people ride bikes everywhere in China, but yet China is building expressways, now China has the world’s largest expressway system, bigger than our interstate highway system.
This should be extremely obvious but apparently this needs clarification:
The deliveristas work here. They deliver some 10k items to your neighbors in the UWS every day.
-Why is their need for infrastructure less valued than someone who drives here?
Thomas Gulotta, perfectly stated. And I would add that as the senior population in NYC continues to increase, there are likely t be less cyclists and more walkers. It is a no-brainer to license all motorized bicycles and hold them accountable to obey road rules.
E-bikes are to bikes as cars are to Flinstone’s Flintmobile. In a city, one is fundamentally dangerous; the other has the capacity to be dangerous, but is mostly just trundling along
I was assaulted on a citibike yesterday by 2 men on an unlicensed moped. They were riding on the bike path – at the 3pm in the afternoon. The man on the back of the moped grabbed my neck from behind as I was cycling, pulled hard and then ripped my necklace and cross off my neck. There were at least 10 people around that stopped — and because of NO cameras along the bike path from riverside to battery park, and the moped having no license plate etc, they got away with ease.
Kat-I am so sorry this happened. please reach out to me at nyc-evsa@outllook.com. This is my personal email. I hope this was reported. It’s not too late and it doesn’t matter that rider fled with no license. we have to have record of all crimes and crashes with injuries. The stats are not correct because so much is not. reported. Hope to hear from you. I want tomeepert this to NYPD Chief of Transportation and NYPS Chief of Patrol. Thank you. Janet
Kat I am so sorry this happened to you. This is just awful and needs to be addressed. Mopeds, eScooters and eBikes, any motorized vehicle should be registered. Why this is even being argued is appalling to me, given the consequences for innocent people like you.
Cameras do not lead to decreases in violent crime. London is the most surveilled city in the western world. There’s still a ton of petty crime.
I’m so sorry that this happened to you. I just now got an alert on my phone that 3 men, 2 on a moped and one on a bike, robbed another man. It’s now a massive red flag when you see two or more grown men riding on the same vehicle, but I can’t imagine how horrifying it must have been to be attacked from behind and totally unaware of what was about to happen. I don’t know how many more stories like this we have to read before changes are made.
And for everyone else, enough with the, ‘we have to elect new politicians,’ comments, because I’ve been on the UWS since 2012 and I haven’t seen any changes.
Frankly I don’t believe a licence plate would stop them. They will use fake plates unfortunately.
Some cars have fake plates. We get it. Not ALL e bikes will have fake plates. Many will be held accountable for egregious riding. This will save lives and mitigate injuries.
How about we at least try? Right now it is an utter disaster because nothing is being done.
E-bikes are more convenient to commit crimes in than cars.
Crossing Amsterdam,or Columbus is dangerous even with the walk light on, the bikers and scotter drivers make their own rues, pedestrians beware!!
They also go both ways on either street.
Past time to have police officers patrol the bike lanes to discouage the offenders!
Ticket or arrest the offenders. Have consequences for the rude and illegal bikers as are none now….
It seems simple to me. If its a motorized vehicle (has a power source and throttle) it should be registered as such.
Just as with cars, responsible riders shouldn’t have to worry about being identified by their license plates.
(This is not anti-bike position. I am an avid recreational cyclist)
Its not as simple as you make it seem. Class III legal Ebikes are capped a 28 mph. your average fit cyclist will hit 25-30 mph on a standard acoustic bike. Ever see how fast someone on a speed acoustic bike dressed in lycra is going? I am an avid cyclist as well. Before E Bikes, people where making the same complaints about acoustic bikes. And if those who ride acoustic bikes think registration will stop at E-Bikes, you are woefully wrong. People have been killed by cyclist on acoustic bikes before, and it will happen again. In the same destructive knee jerk response we are seeing happen with “Pricilla’s Law” , we will see the same call for regulation of ALL bikes. Acoustic Cyclist, you will be next. Remember the traffic cameras installed throughout the city, only “during school hours”, how did that turn out? Once these greedy politicians see the revenue generated by registration they will look to fleece every form of transportation possible. Enforce existing laws, they are just fine if the police actually enforce them.
There are very few cyclists going 30 MPH in a bike lane – Lycra or not – it doesn’t make you go any faster. Btw. Those throttle e-bikes often have caps bypassed – too
No, Lycra does not make you go faster. I’ve observed anecdotally those wearing Lycra do so with the intention to go fast. Maybe I am wrong. I do not think anyone should be going 30 mph in dedicated bike lanes. I feel the limit for the bike lane should be an enforced 20 mph. I do not think it is wrong for a cyclist to travel between 25-28 mph on an unprotected bike path mixed with cars where the road has a speed limit of 30 mph, such as conduit blvd. Any E Vehicle that can travel above 28 MPH is not considered an EBike, it is considered an E Moto. Those should be registered and not be allowed on cycling infrastructure . Those E Motos are often confused with EBikes, which is big part of this issue. Throttles are not unlocked on class III E Bikes to go over 28 MPH, if they do, it is an Emoto and again, this is where I agree the vehicle should be registered and not allowed on cycling infrastructure. A difficult distinction to make, but an important one. If people were better educated on what an Ebike actually is, and the city enforced laws on EMotos,, I think it would change a lot of negative perceptions. Most E Cyclist share your concerns and want to figure out a way to make the streets safer.
Perfect! I’m also a cyclist and was hospitalized in May after being hit from behind by a speeding motorized something on the bike path along the Hudson. My broken bones are mending but I could have been killed. My helmet was cracked. There is no reason not to license these vehicles.
100% agree. Same here as an avid recreational cyclist.
Ok, after reading for at least a year on WSR stories about these crazy e-bike riders, change of vacation plans. Have always enjoyed trips to NYC, always enjoyed all NYC has to offer. But, taking my vacation in Connecticut. Not worth the risk of getting hit.
Nuance is not in vogue these days but multiple things are true here simultaneously: if you hit someone, you should be held accountable *and* DOT is not equipped to establish, manage, or enforce license plates on eBikes.
We deserve a hearing. Priscilla’s Law is also a state bill
There’s a half million dollars worth of Congestion Pricing cameras recently installed in the CBD for at least those residents and pedestrians…but additionally cameras galore to catch double-parked scofflaws as well as car speeders and lawbreakers. Are vulnerable pedestrians in harms’ way no less worthy of OUR TAX DOLLARS being spent to hold motorized cowboys and thieve saccountable by IDs -captured on cameras?
So we should just throw up our hands and give into the dangers on our streets?
NYPD need to get off their phones and do their jobs – this behavior is already illegal, they just can’t be bothered to enforce the laws on the books.
They add more cops , but the cops are always on their phones.
I live in Jersey City, and there is a two block stretch of road that is closed off to cars and is supposed to be a “pedestrian throughway.” It’s become a nightmare of e-bikes, mopeds and skateboarders zooming on the road and the sidewalks, and the police do absolutely nothing. Several people have been injured, including a child, already. I was told by one of our police officers, that they were told not to engage with the bicyclists/riders who ride down the “pedestrians only” zone. They did not like when I asked them, as I caught them sitting in their patrol car and checking Facebook, “Then what are you doing out here?”
Riding up Riverside earlier this week, I passed 2 cops from the 24th precinct. SLEEPING in their RMP. On duty.
Not the first time I’ve seen this behavior from UWS commands. Says it all, I think
At least we need to be having that discussion. Since NYCDOT is controlled by the bike lobby, let them regulate it.
The lack of enforcement of the ban on e-bikes and motorized vehicles on the Hudson River Greenway south of 59th street is a sad abdication of responsibility by the Parks Department and the NYPD. There is no need for additional laws to enforce these rules, it’s just apathy. Much like ghost cars, if the police can’t be bothered to deal with the obvious stuff, what’s the point of creating new laws and regulations?
Hi to …I drive a car In NYC That is why we want plates on all e vehicles. Cameras can catch the plate of someone hurt and rider flees ( as they do 95% of time). So can anyone with a cellphone.
This is the point of Intro 0606-2024. Cameras capture cars breaking the law all day and issues thousands of tickets. If they didn’t, you’d see more cars than you do now running lights when NYPD not around.
They capture the plates, but they can’t determine if the plates are real or not. If there is little enforcement of ghost cars, why would we expect better enforcement of ghost e-vehicles? Just a guess on my part, but I would imagine the problem of ghost plates/no plates would be far more pervasive with scooters and mopeds than with cars. Ultimately, the system only works if NYPD and Parks Department enforce the rules, otherwise it’s a waste of time.
They can’t even enforce one way bike lanes.
More accurately, they don’t even enforce one way bike lanes.
I understand licensing would be a nightmare to execute, but they could start smaller – that all e-bikes used in a trade/business needs to be licensed. That would cover Citibike and delivery companies would need to insure a driver they hire has a license. I’ve seen some articles calling for insurance on e-bikes – but that seems much more complicated to execute, not visible for compliance and after the fact of an accident.
And the riders whould wear hi-vis vests with delivery company name on back.
I suggested that to both Gale Brewer & Brad Hoylman last year. No reply
They work multiple apps simultaneously.
The reality is that the anti car crowd does not want any accountability for their actions. This is not about safety or a more just society, this is a zero sum game where they change the players to benefit them. This is not only a war on cars and personal ability to freely move around, but a zero sum game of who gets power.
What’s the point of licensing [throttle] e-bikes when the NYPD just ignores unplated/uninsured gas powered motor scooters and full sized motorcycles?
Besides enforcement, which the NYPD is refusing to do, the only real solution is to electronically limit all throttle e-bikes to 10 MPH.
That Citibike (Lyft) rider who killed Ms Loke in Chinatown (Manhattan) I assume was NOT riding the kind of e-bike (an e-assist machine) that is ever likely to be regulated.
The machines that do the most harm are almost universally throttle e-bikes, which are just e-mopeds or in some cases speed limited e-scooters.
This essay is conflating e-assist bikes with throttle e-bikes; very unhelpful.
Want safer batteries? Then demand that only LFP batteries be sold used. They burn easily, and NYC is a big enough market that it can ask manufacturers to make such batteries.
TA is a classic construct of the real politic. It purports to be one thing but is actually something quite different. While TA pays lip service to pedestrian interests, it is actually nothing but a lobby dedicated solely to the interests of cyclists. It puts on a politically correct front but is really only interested in its core constituents desire to give bicycles free reign wherever and however they decide to ride.
TA has hidden its real agenda under a fig leaf for too long and it’s time to call them what they are: The Big Bike Lobby.
True!!! And they are subsidized by Citi-Bike and Lyft. Just follow the money.
Let’s be CRYSTAL CLEAR…the BIGGEST FUNDER OF TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST FUNDERS OF STREETSPAC…the routing of money influenced legislation via donations goes through them…The pretzel twisting and Machiavellian construct hides the underbelly of these affiliated Lobbying orgs. INVESTIGATE THE LINKS…CONNECT THE DOTS and you WILL find a clear path to self-dealing all of which has been disguised as 501 c 3 shells …and you may even win a Pulitzer!
“I do not believe a blanket e-bike registration rule will make streets safer,” she said, “nor is NYC DOT [Department of Transportation] equipped to establish, manage, or enforce it.” Brewer did support the lithium-ion safety bills.”
Pray, Ms. Brewer, what do you suggest to make our sidewalks and crosswalks safer”. Should the city ban pedestrians? Those tax-paying citizens are becoming so entitled, don’t you think? The upside is that they would save on shoe leather.
I don’t care what you “believe”. You weren’t elected to act on faith or gut instinct, rather to make decisions BASED ON FACTS that affect the tax-paying citizens of your community..
Amen.
Gale was elected to represent her constituents, not her donors. Her constituents want traffic laws enforced.
So a natural impulse would be to question why it is that so many politicians-legislators-the Mayor-the Community Boards (whoa-especially CB7) are reluctant to get out in front of the obvious , well reported deaths, harm and terror going on throughout NYC from e-micromobility … yes…a logical ponder.
As so much that happens in our ‘burg’…when one follows the money- it’s not always easy , because self-dealers are expert at covering up and at the same time skilled at sanctimony-one can find the answer. It’s basically snake oil salesmen circa 21st Century doing their virtue thing-you know good for what ails ‘ya! .
Well, take the time folks to see who’s behind the refusal to do the right thing -LICENSE-REGISTER-INSURE E-MOTORIZED CYCLES OF ALL TYPES…it’s Transportation Alternatives and their minions -um like mega funder LYFT which has an EXCLUSIVE monopoly APP BikeShare NYC contract and certainly doesn’t want that license requirement “inconvenience” to tamper with its freedom from PURE UNACCOUNTABILITY!
And why not check out Mark Gorton…the biggest funder of TA and a Hedge Fund (Tower Research Capital LLC) owner whose investments rely in some part on keeping those APPS…Food Delivery Deliverista’s hooked into UBER-EATS and other owned $$$ stakes flourishing…
WHY? Follow the money…your safety ain’t worth the paper that the TransAlt ubiquitous astroturfed propaganda is written on. https://transalt.org/fy23supporters
I’m so sick of people making it seem like licensing/respecting the rules of the law such as red lights is impossible to implement. It’s not such chaos in other major cities of the world. Politicians need to start listening to us instead of the Lyft lobby (Transalt)
Great point, do other major cities in the world require license plates on bikes?
Maybe we need to. It does not matter what other major cities do sometimes. America is a low trust society.
Marc Gorton really is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I would love to have just five minutes alone with him to tell him how dense and narrow-minded his movement really is.
New Zealand recently out lawed them.
He also is the biggest funder of anti vaxxer RFK Jr.
The city and state leave no other alternative by their dereliction of duty than to bring legal action against them. As for TA not giving money to politicians-that would differ from what politicians say TA does. We are left in a shocking situation where the majority of New Yorkers are left to try to ward off lawless and reckless motorized bikes. That leads to thousands of injuries that could have and should have been prevented. This is inexcusable.
I want bikes if all kinds, pedestrians, and cars to coexist in harmony, but for this to happen, each group must respect the others and individuals must be asked to be accountable for their actions. I’m tired of hearing tired race-based nonsense used to explain away common-sense rules and laws (such as saying accountability will lead to discriminatory behavior on account of the police). Fear of hypothetical discrimination is a poor reason to reject accountability, How about taking a more positive and active approach and fight against discrimination?
I was legally crossing a crosswalk with 12 seconds left to cross when someone riding an E-Bike ran a red light and knocked me out. I went flying and fell backwards. He was thrown from his bike, and wearing a helmet, he was fine. I was rushed to the ER with a contusion to my head, a concussion and now a fractured hip and wrist. I was overall physically healthy before this happened, now I need a hip surgery. E-BIKES are a true danger to people. Please stop them. Slowing down never hurt anyone, we need to do that as a culture. Go back to bicycles, remove E-Bikes.
Isn’t there a Crime Victims fund that helps pay medical bills for crime victims? I propose the city have a BikeVictims fund to pay medical bills for people hit by Bikes.
For uninsured people hit by cars -there is a city fund.
I’ve very sorry that this happened to you.
I wish I could leave a photo of what it means. to be hit by a E-vehicle but this link tells all. https://www.youtube.com/@NYC-EVSA
What an outrage. If DOT is not equipped to register e-bikes, it must equip itself to do so. Seems to me that people’s safety should have priority over a deparment’s “bureaucratic nightmare.” Yes to bike lanes, but yes most of all to public safety for everyone. That includes pedestrians. As Ms. Brewer and TA would have it, the only license e-bikes have is to barrel down foot traffic with total impunity.
The best way to end this is to ban e-bikes and mopeds period. Bike lanes are for bikes that you have to pedal.
I completely agree. This city is chaotic enough without the addition of stealth, heavy and dangerous ebikes which are driven against traffic, on sidewalks, too fast, and without regard for rules of the road. The mopeds are equally bad, adding noise pollution, and more chaos and danger to the streets. Enough is enough. This is not an environment we just must “accept” because we live in a big city. Cities can also be orderly, people can follow rules, and our quality of life CAN be better. We, as citizens must demand this, and not accept the status quo.
Excuse me? Sledge’s comment is an insult to Loke and her surviving family. How dare this writer even quote such an ignorant, bias, agenda-driven corrupt person. Again, disgusting. A woman DIED BECAUSE CITIBIKE REFUSES TO REQUIRE ANY TRAINING AND ACCOUNTABILITY PRIOR TO SOMEONE PULLING A BIKE OUT OF THE RACK! PRICELLAS law is on the right side of history whereas TA is consistently fighting against ANYTHING that would touch their precious BikerBro StreetsPac agenda. And Gale Brewer is a disgrace to this city. Her lazy legislation suits her and her TA-influenced agenda just fine, for her. Lazy, scared of real progress and SHE DOESNT CARE ABOUT VICTIMS, time for Gale to get gone!
It is surprising that CM Brewer is so supportive of the bicycle lobby.
She herself is a senior citizen and surely aware of the difficulties faced by those with health and mobility difficulties.
I guess she hasprotection when she walks around.
This is because of the 2021 primary challenge. If Gale Brewer was not on the ballot, Sara Lind could have won. She fears Sara Lind.
Sara Lind of Mark Gorton’s Orwellian OpenPlans?!? That Sara Lind? Indeed, that would be adding INSULT TO INJURY!
Sledge is nothing but a ignorant, paid political hack. Councilman Holden is spot on. Somehow we all got along for over 100 years without unregulated electric motorcycles terrorizing taxpayers and tourists. Stop the nonsense. We are first and foremost a pedestrian city on which every aspect of our local, state, national and global economic vitality depends. If ‘ebikes’ are to co-exist the must do so civilly under the guise of responsibility and accountability for their use.
I applaud this article. E-bikes and scooters have made the streets and parks dangerous and have diminished the quality of life in the city. They need to be made accountable and restricted.
I left NYC in July because E-bikes posed too gray a danger to me. I’m a very healthy 63 years old who had 3 surgeries in my legs. My doctors told me that if I was hit by one of these bikes that I’d never walk again. Every sidewalk and I intersection become a nightmare to me as e-bikes. I moved to CT where there are NO E-BIKES. For the first time in years I am able to walk without looking over my shoulder or dreading stepping outside. An also guess what? Life exists without people having to have salads delivered or zip around recklessly with casual indifference to their neighbors lives.
This bill is really trying to bring order and get the chaos out of our city,” Holden told the Rag. “If you’re reckless, if you hit people, you should be held accountable.”
There have been hundreds of stories like this and worse, people getting hit and dying while the ebike, which is as fast and heavy as a motorcycle, flys away. That’s called a “hit & run”, and that is not only unconscionable, it is immoral! Help get ALL ebike riders required to be registered and licensed by passing Pricilla’s Law and by supporting
NYC -EVSA!!!
I live in Hell’s Kitchen where e-vehicles of all sorts are present. E-bikes got he wrong way, speed, run red light and ride on the sidewalk. They are also relatively quiet which makes them that much more dangerous because they come out of nowhere from places where you least expect them. My daughter was hit in the Bronx by a deliverista who then sped off. She was left with a black eye and bruised wrist. She had to go to work so she did not report it. There have to be hundreds if not thousands of unreported cases like hers.
Sadly Ms. Sledge engages in the racism of low expectations when she suggests that “immigrants and men of color” are not as capable as others to register their bikes and follow laws.
I would argue that we give those people the benefit of the doubt and assume they are just as able to do the right thing.
Making preemptive excuses for people based on their immigration status or skin color is a reprehensible prejudice that should be called out.
More bike lanes or wider bike lanes do absolutely nothing to stop an e-bike rider from running a light or speeding! Nothing. ‘More infrastructure” is not a solution to the horrific riding taking place in our streets, endangering pedestrians and cyclists (older adults and the disabled are most at risk ). New Yorkers health, safety and quality of life have been greatly diminished by the e vehicle and moped crisis. This is a fact, and accountability is the solution.
How would a bike lane or wider bike lane have saved Priscilla Loke from being killed by an e-Citibike? He was riding straight at her while she was legally walking in a crosswalk.
I am w cyclist (human powered) and a pedestrian. I applaud all the Transportation Alternatives has accomplished to improve infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists which has saved lives. On this issue, I think they need to rethink it. As the volume of e-bikes has increased, we need to manage them better. If registration included a required safety training, I would support it. I am tired of dodging e-bikes on the sidewalk and I do not think fully powered e-bikes belong in the bike lanes.
Currently, there are no consequences for egregious riding- none. Consequences are what shapes behavior. Accountability, via identifiable plates, will mitigate death and injuries . Cars have plates for a reason. Can you imagine if they didn’t? E-bikes are NOT bicycles. They should not be in the same class. They have motors, are so much heavier, go faster and brake more slowly. 29 bikers died last year, 21 were on e-bikes. 7 of the e bikers hit stationary objects. We want to save lives and mitigate injuries for e-bikers as well. And, 95% of e bike riders and moped riders flee scene of crash. Only 3 riders involved in our 91 victim’s crashes, stayed at scene. In these cases, identification/accountability are critical for e bikes, mopeds and cars alike. Identifying these riders is critical. Everyone should be held accountable for leaving scene of any crash from any type of vehicle.
The “ cars kill more people” argument makes no sense. Heart Disease kills more women than Cancer but we still try to find cures for both. We don’t go to a cancer event and yell out “ But what about heart disease?” Making e-bikes safer doesn’t make cars less safe. It increases safety for ALL, and from ALL vehicles. This is common sense.
An e-bike on NYC streets does not equal a car taken off the street. Very fre, if any rider delivering food was driving a car prior. They were mostly riding a BICYCLE. Tourists on e-Citibikes were mostly taking mass trans or car shares, and commuters weren’t driving up or downtown to work, only to pay for expensive all-day parking.. They were mostly taking mass transportation.
Mr. Holden and Ms. Shroeder make a strong case for licensing and registering e-bikes. E-bikes have motors, just like a car. If a car is involved in an accident, the one causing the accident is held accountable. Not so with an e-bike that causes an accident. As a senior, I find our streets to be more treacherous than ever. Bikes going down “up” streets and up “down” streets. It’s universal that red means “stop” and green means “go”. Are all the bikers color blind???? E-bikes pose a particular problem because of the speed at which they travel. There is not a lot of distance between driving 25 mph like car or 20 like a bike. And if they lower the driving limit in the city to 20mph then there will be NO difference between an e-bike and a car.
A’ ‘war on e bikes’ is not accurate.. Clearly, the war out on the streets /sidewalks is one against pedestrians, who can’t safely walk on sidewalk for fear of the e-bike riders all over them; often right next to a bike lane! We are not against e bikes. We are against breaking laws that endanger all .
Again, if riders rode with consideration of consequence due to being held accountable, we would have much safer streets for everyone, including the riders. NYC-EVSA has no agenda other than safety. We aren’t paid or funded. . We are the -voting -voice of the majority, and we see very clearly through all smoke screens.
Over the past decade, Transportation Alternatives has taken MILLION$ from the likes of Uber, Lyft, Doordash. That is who they ultimately represent. It is no wonder their every action favors these apps.
All of Transportation Alternatives comments against licensing e-bikes make no sense to me. And expecting New Yorkers, many of whom are elderly, to hop on a bike to get around town is just plain stupid. Plus, people in the outer boroughs, where public transportation is spotty, are not going to give up their cars. TA should work with EVSA to make this city safer for pedestrians and bike riders alike. Shame on those council people who refused to support Bob Holden’s bill.
So the City Council can’t bring itself to deal with bikes on sidewalks, motorized bikes violating traffic laws and a steadily growing number of serious pedestrian injuries? A clear, easily solvable life and death issue? Time to vote these folks out and get some responsible representation.
Gale Brewer is my councilmember. I urge others in her district to join me in voting her out of office. She is a disgrace.
I have supported Gale Brewer for many years. I am devastated by her refusal to take even the smallest action to protect the pedestrians in her district. I walked about 12 blocks *to an event of hers* earlier this summer, and on the way was menaced by not one, not two, but THREE cyclists. 2 were Citibike riders on the sidewalk, the other was a deliverista running a red light. New Yorkers should be able to walk to the grocery store without being menaced by unaccountable bike riders. Kudos to NYC-EVSA for demonstrating the compassion, energy, and tenacity that most of our elected officials do not.
I watch these ebikes on Broadway and Amsterdam in the 70s and 80s–they go faster than the cars and they constantly go through red lights. I don’t understand the logic of not registering these dangerous vehicles driven by young men who don’t give a dam about pedestrians. Indeed, as a pedestrian we seem to have no rights. The quality of life on the UWS has changed so much over the past couple of years–I no longer feel safe. Very frustrating.
I cycle. A lot. Over 150 miles/week, all over the city, and have done so for decades. No battery, no e-assist. My legs and an analog drivetrain.
The ebikes are a disaster. Way too many of them, and yes while these folks are working, delivery worked on normal bikes for a loooong time before 2020. The batteries are dangerous, and they are often ridden in a hazardous manner.
The moped proliferation shows a complete failure of NYC and NYS government. No plates? Stop, seize, ticket the rider. Run lights/ride on the bike path? Pull em over, arrest and cite. Why is NY DMV not getting involved in closing shops that sell unlicensed/unregistered mopeds, or revoking the driving license for these riders?
None of this has to do with ‘discriminatory enforcement.’ Motor vehicle laws are in place for a reason. Ebikes are motor vehicles. Mopeds are motor vehicles. So are cars with defaced or missing plates.
The current state of affairs speaks volumes about the NYPD, Adams, and Hochul
I used to. cycle all the time in the park. Then the e bikes arrived whizzing past me, but so close. Were they taunting me.? I would arrive home so shaken & just happy to arrive without injury. Finally, I decided to give up the cycling I had enjoyed for so many years. It was too terrifying. The lousy e-bikes, electric scooters, mopeds… took away one of my favorite activities. No one has the right to do that. Get them out of the park & get them licensed ASAP.
Here’s a politically incorrect comment. Go ahead and hate me, but politely please.
I would like to see more people get off their couches and go get their own food. I’m 77 and I have never requested a delivery of food. I believe that food delivery should be like disabled license plates in other parts of the country. You apply with an explanation as to why you are unable to go get your own food in the neighborhood. If you are unable to do this, you get a special permit which allows food to be delivered to you. This would be good for the environment (i.e. traffic). It would also be good for people’s health, as they would walk more. This would likely get 75% of the delivery bikes off the street. Don’t tell me about the loss of jobs for low income workers. Jobs stocking shelves, cleaning offices, and washing dishes are going begging throughout the city. Rant ended.
If we can’t do the above (I realize this is blue-skying) then every vehicle larger than a child-sized bike should absolutely be registered and required to show plates.
I agree. I am age 87 and the only time I have had food delivered was when Ihad surgery and was unable to get out for a few days. And, then, it was delivered by the local restaurant and on foot.
Getting the best pizza in all of NYC for this Upper West Sider does not require getting a doordash delivery, but driving my car out to the Bronx!
The chaos created by unruly motorized bikes and mopeds in the streets and sidewalks is insane. Something must be done to fix this. Pedestrians are in constant danger and the city is ignoring this. The police ignore this. How can this be? It is an emergency!
The most immediate solution would be to make police enforce all traffic rules for all vehicles. Outlaw motorized bikes and mopeds. Shut down the delivery apps. Let businesses employ regular bicyclists or pedestrians for the occasional deliveries. This would set the clock back to a safer way of life here. Admittedly some readjustment necessary for many deliveristas and for those requesting but not requiring such deliveries. But pedestrians would again be safe, which is the most basic necessity for this city.
Yes, I am yet another victim of an e-bike on the sidewalk. The rider rode off and I spent hours in the emergency room with a broken wrist. Nothing in the article convinces me that Gale Brewer and others voted against Priscilla’s Law for anything other than money. Vote out Brewer and all who voted against this clearly need law.
I repeat my suggetion that we have a Bike Victims fund to pay hospital bills.
better yet…write or call her and tell her *today* that if she doesn’t support this law, you won’t support her re-election.
Dont wait till the next election to let your voice be heard.
And BTW, I wonder how many agree with me?: If a local politician ran on a single platform of controlling and regulating e-bikes, he or she would be elected. Even a Republican!
Yes, I am yet another victim of an e-bike on the sidewalk. The rider rode off and I spent hours and hours in the emergency room with a broken wrist. Nothing in this article offers reasonable reasons why Gale Brewer and others voted against Priscilla’s Law. It always boils down to money. What a disappointment, Ms. Brewer. The only solution is to vote Brewer out and vote in someone not beholdened to the e-bike lobby.
I am so sorry Sabrina. Please join us. We have 91 victims and strength is in numbers. We are doing a lot of good but every voice counts. . http://www.nycevsa.org
I now have to warn every friend and family member who comes to NYC to visit to be very careful crossing our streets due to the out-of-control chaos that our streets have become with bicycles, e-bikes, mopeds, etc. They think I am kidding until they actually see it for themselves and/or almost get hit. These vehicles are NOT replacing cars, they are replacing people taking public transportation or using their feet to walk. This green experiment has failed and should be ended immediately. The majority do not agree with Transportaton Alternatives.
While the real danger of e-bikes, e-scooters and mopeds continues to explode in NYC and the number of those who have been injured with it, I find glaring the misrepresentation of the Trans Alt lobby by the media. The writer here gives sizable space to what Trans Alt says on the matter of non-regulation of e-bikes which most New Yorkers disagree with and have been demanding for years now. Why does Trans Alt have an outsized seat at every table when their protestations come from a group whose funders are the very companies who would be hurt by regulation and the man pulling the strings has a hedge fund investing in them. The information of who contributes to Trans Alt is publicly available. Why not check it to see who they are representing?
If TA doesn’t contribute to politicians because as they claim they are a 501(c)(3) that’s easy enough to fact check. Many politicians will tell you they do give donations. If they tell me that they’ll likely tell you that.
Why give a sentence or 2 of this article to the only grassroots organization fighting for common sense regulation, nycevsa.org? Surely they have a lot to say as they represent so many actual victims of e-vehicle crashes. And have so many members.
It is very clear by comments on this article abd all the past articles on the subject, that the majority of UWS rag readers ( and New Yorkers) for that matter agree that regulating all e-vehicles makes sense. Whether Priscilla’s Law passes in the city or in the state ( two separate bills of course), it will pass. And all of us – pedestrians, cyclists, e-bikers and dogs will be safer for it. Common sense will prevail.
Just like automobiles, e-bikes and maim and kill if not operated properly.
Robert Holden points out that “by licensing e-bikes, bikers can be held accountable for accidents.”
This is a basic concept in ethics and the law. When an injury or death occurs, we look to see whether the someone else caused it out of malice or negligence. Transportation Alternatives thinks that bikers should be exempt from liability, above the law. Drivers of cars are required to get license plates so that they can be held accountable. Why should it be any different for e-bikes?
I have read the pros and cons as laid out in the article, and it seems to me that the key takeaways are the needs for safety and accountability. As one who has been in the harms way and near misses of ebikers on two occasions, I join the chorus desirous of registration and enforcement of the rules of the road. It is not for us to debate the difficulties of registering ebikes and enforcing public safety. That is for our local government leaders and NYPD to implement. Where this is a will, there is a way.