By Gus Saltonstall
A hazmat team was needed after a pedestrian was struck by an electric bike Monday on the Upper West Side, FDNY confirmed to West Side Rag.
The person was hit by the e-bike around 1:15 p.m. in front of 1981 Broadway, between 67th and 68th streets, FDNY said. As a result of the collision, the battery that powers the electric bike began smoking, and a fire department hazmat team responded to the scene to dispose of the battery properly, FDNY said.
Over the past few years, there have been a growing number of fires related to the lithium ion batteries within electric bikes exploding.
The pedestrian who was struck was taken to Mount Sinai West, FDNY added, but the spokesperson was not able to provide any personal details or information related to their condition.
A police spokesperson also did not have information about the Monday bike collision, which could mean that there is no criminality involved.
Please check back in for any updates.
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Thank you to all of our local politicians for enabling this ebike mess in the city. Your greed is apparently unbounded as your need to accept money from the Mark Gorton, Transportation Alternatives astro turf groups is obviously more important to you than the safety of your constituents.
Easy solution to the bike problem – Put ICE in charge of enforcing the traffic laws – Might take a week, but not much more.
Yes. I blame our corrupt politicians.
Truth!
When cars start riding on sidewalks, going the opposite direction of traffic, crossing over 5 lanes and going through red lights when light has already been red – then we’ll compare to cars.
Transportation alternatives have turned bike riders into irresponsible vehicles who have no regard for pedestrians.
Politicians need to stand up and start forcing enforcement of the law!
They won’t as long as 1) they get money from GrubHub, DoorDash, and other companies that funnel through TransAlt; 2) not enough voters care enough to vote for candidates who are less obviously on the take.
Regardless of your feelings on bikes, I think its worth noting that cars do what you’re describing literally all the time. I see it constantly.
You see cars riding on sidewalks constantly? I highly doubt that.
I do, they are parked all over the sidewalk in front of the fire station. They didn’t float there. They had to drive on the sidewalk.
Those are the firemen parking their cars.
parking their cars illegally
“Literally all the time”? A gross, hyperbolic exaggeration that does nothing to advance an intelligent discussion of the issues.
Can say the exact same thing about the hyperbolic descriptions of cyclists here.
these people are delusional. cars are killing people every day.
If there wasn’t a hazmat issue it would never even be noticed. Our city officials need to have a place on 311 for pedestrians that got hurt but thank goodness not killed. There is nowhere on 311 or any place else to truly count when pedestrians get hurt from bikes and ebikes and it woefully undercounted.
Gale Brewer – Brad Hoylman Segal – have a place for people to report on getting hurt from an ebike and ending up getting medical help now!
maybe it just doesn’t happen enough.
There was no police report because there’s NEVER a police report about bike crashes! The precinct and City really do not care about pedestrians.
The police spokesperson likely did not have details about the crash because there is currently no way to record those details, and therefore no way to investigate and assess fault. This is a huge problem. EVSA is working with local lawmakers to address this!
evsa is an oxymoron and does not care about safety
There can be no other conclusion from years of the grassroots’ pleas falling on deaf ears that the city (and state) just don’t really care about the menace and injuries from e-bikes. It’s called collateral damage. As long as the players like DoorDash, GrubHub and Citibike rake in the money, thousands of life altering accidents are to them and our City Council a small price to pay. Even the tone deaf Parks Department announces the plan to make e-bike riding permanently legal in the parks 2 weeks after an e-bike rider was killed in Central Park!!!
This city is out of control and no longer safe for walking in Central Park, or to a grocery store or the bank. You don’t want to live in a city which ignores their seniors, their disabled and their pedestrians. And not to worry cause the Mayor has a solution coming to the problem of e-bikes in 2028!! World class city?? I don’t think so.
Even Amsterdam, the most bike friendly city in the world, now has licenses for e-bikes. This City is ridiculous.
they also have infrastructure. but you left that part out.
I’ve lived in Amsterdam and no one rides their bike on the sidewalk there.
yes, thats not allowed- they have cycle lanes everywhere of course but also now have their own problems with fast electric bikes/scooters using the bike lanes as expected but are faster,bigger ,wider than planners envisaged years a go.
Various “advocates” oppose doing anything about E-bikes because, they say, penalties will fall “disproportionately” on marginalized groups. This argument is a cover for the companies that make money from delivery workers and for the politicians in the pockets of those companies.
I couldn’t agree more. The “marginalized groups” argument is so tired. Let’s use some common sense and stop hiding behind arguments about race. This is about public safety, including safety of the e-bike riders, and about money and its undue influence.
If you are new to the country, the lesson shouldn’t be, “hey, you can just ignore all the laws here.”
How many pedestrians have to be injured or worse from bikes before the elected officials, police and courts hold the riders accountable??? This problem has been going on for years with no consequential action taken by city and state authorities and it’s only getting worse. As someone pointed out, the Central Park Conservancy will be allowing e-bikes soon. I’m guessing a big donation is behind this decision as money is a big influencer. Let’s not make any donations ourselves because that’s what the CPC cares about, not the safety of the millions who are trying to enjoy the park by foot.
A few weeks ago the “West SideSpirit” ran a story about injuries from bikes where they actually spoke with a physician from HSS who confirmed that they see a lot of people who are injured by ebike riders.
Reporting doesn’t reflect this because there’s no insurance coverage for the rider so there’s no reason to report.
The press needs to do a deeper dive on this.
And the bicyclist that hit the pedestrian hit with so much force that the fork of the “bike” snapped off the frame.
Lyft really needs to do a better job vetting renters.
Lyft should be liable for the damage caused.
All the apps should be required to hire the delivery people as actual employees, they should have registration and plates, and the apps should provide insurance, etc…
How about stop all bike delivery altogether? Only foot delivery or you have to get off your fat posterior and pick it up. That would force some change.
This wasn’t a delivery guy, it was a big batteried e-assist pedal bike rented from Citibike, which Lyft owns.
Citibike can be sued as it is their weapon. Just lawyer up and sue for several million wont take long till their out of business.
Lyft makes renters (teens included) sign liability waivers.
Fascinating that without any knowledge of the circumstances of the accident (e.g., was the pedestrian crossing in the middle of the block?), the story elicits the usual outpouring of anti-e-bike comments which invariably cite endemic political corruption. It’s entirely possible that the e-bike rider was proceeding in compliance with the law and was not at fault. I don’t know whether or not that was the case, and I doubt any of the commenters do either. Had the e-bike rider been licensed, there is no indication that the accident would have been avoided. I think licensing is a good idea, of course; e-bikes aren’t going away.
Hey, we know what happened. You don’t need to tell us what we don’t know. We live on the uws and we just know.
My feelings don’t care about no facts!
Let’s get real. In our beloved NYC, e-bikes present a dramatically safer alternative to cars for pedestrians. Cars, with their large size, high speeds, and frequent presence in pedestrian-heavy areas, are the leading cause of traffic-related injuries and fatalities involving pedestrians. According to NYC data, pedestrian injuries and deaths are overwhelmingly linked to vehicle collisions, with cars being responsible for the vast majority of these incidents. In reality E-bikes, owing to their smaller size, lower operating speeds, and nimbleness, pose much less danger. E-bikes are more easily maneuvered and can navigate through traffic or around crowded sidewalks with greater agility, significantly reducing the risk of accidents with pedestrians.
Beyond safety, e-bikes contribute substantially to environmental and urban quality-of-life improvements. They are silent compared to traditional vehicles, helping to cut noise pollution—the number one complaint to 311. E-bikes also reduce traffic congestion by offering a flexible, efficient means of transportation that can bypass bottlenecks, freeing up road space for pedestrians and emergency services. Their emissions-free operation helps lower city pollution levels, improving air quality and public health. By promoting e-bike use, NYC can create a more sustainable, livable environment—less noisy, less crowded, and safer for everyone, especially pedestrians.
New Yorkers have normalized the dangers of cars and trucks but e-bikes are new on the scene. We are in a period of adjustment to a largely beneficial mobility option so let’s not panic folks!
Bicyclists have definitely worsened my family’s daily life – less safe and less livable.
Best thing would be for 1) bicyclists to walk or use MTA bus or subway.
2) able-bodied people to reduce instant gratification food delivery.
how? i live in this same city, i’d love to walk around with you and see exactly how cyclists have worsened your daily life.
Try getting across with the light at almost any intersection with a bike lane. Try especially in Central Park if you need to cross a roadway. No one obeys the lights and all the bikes go at top speed.
This is just not true. I literally cross the intersections in CP ~2-4x a day, and with kids on the weekends. It’s absolutely fine, just look before you cross, the cyclists either go around or will stop for you.
You say “According to NYC data, pedestrian injuries and deaths are overwhelmingly linked to vehicle collisions” Where did you get this data? As noted in the article the police precinct has no report on this collision. Many of us have witness accidents with injuries, called 911, and an ambulance comes but not the police. So who is counting the collisions for your data?
Cars don’t zip down sidewalks at 15 MPH, and they run reds much less frequently than e-bike drivers and LyftBike renters.
By the way, riding any kind of bicycle if you are 13 or older on the sidewalk is illegal, but I see that you approve of such activity. This emphasizes how out of touch you are with regular pedestrian dangers on the UWS.
The silence of e-bikes further increases their danger to pedestrians.
westside rez:
Pedestrian, bus and subway rider here.
Not a driver.
Bicyclists – especially Citibike riders and racing bicyclists – endanger me and my family.
BTW bicycles don’t reduce the number of cars in NYC – bicycles, especially Citibike, siphon from use of bus and subway.
Citibikers can walk and ride the bus and subway.
drivers can walk and ride the subway.
Some can, for others, whose commutes bear little relation to the destinations served by our transit system and those who transport passengers or equipment? Not so much.
Funny thing, looking back at over 70 years of living, the older I got the more such people I met.
This is a false comparison. Without e-bikes, riders would be using regular bikes, not cars. Your whole argument is invalid.
“E-bikes are more easily maneuvered and can navigate through traffic or around crowded sidewalks with greater agility, significantly reducing the risk of accidents with pedestrians.”
You literally are your own worst enemy! This is a city – speeding vehicles should not be something to be proud of. Again – show us a car on the sidewalk or doing exactly what you are saying above. Bikers need to stop riding the wrong way, zigzagging through streets and not paying attention too traffic laws. Every word of that sentence is causing pedestrians to get hurt. WAKE UP and care about your fellow New Yorkers!!
Adjustment – adjustment is enforcing the law so that bikes do not do exactly what you think is so great about them. If they followed the law – biked in the right direction, stayed in the bike lanes, followed the traffic laws – this conversation and all the damage would not be happening. Start ticketing the bicyclist and the city would make a fortune and the rates of accidents will go way down. It doesn’t matter if it’s work or play – drive safety bikers and follow the law!!!
In terms of numbers – every person that gets hurt doesn’t get counted – that’s the whole point and problem If they did, the politicians would have to step up and do something about it.
Most people do not believe that getting your chicken parm faster is worse someone’s safety or even life.
This is HORRIBLE!!! Let’s here our remaining candidates for Mayor and City Council tell us when we will be rid of these monstors called “bikes” when they are nothing of the kind and threaten all of us.
I see that the e-bike apologists are out in full force today.
I see the car apologists are using the time spent in their idling cars for alternate side parking to productively post multiple responses on this thread
its really obscene how people are killed dead every day by cars but these people are crying about bikes.
Cars rarely drive down the sidewalks at 15MPH, but I e-bike drivers doing that every other day.
Cars rarely blow reds at 20MPH going the wrong way, but I see that a couple of times everyday. That’s not counting the e-bike drivers who blow reds at just 10MPH while cutting through a crosswalk crowded with pedestrians.
Can non citizen ebikers who violate the rules of the road be deported?
No.
This one is priceless. You’ll have to deport a whole lot of tourists – that’ll go well
Tourists come legally with passports and visas and eventually leave on their own. Most try to make a good impression on the host country and follow the rules and laws and pay for their hotel stay.
I have a need to weigh in on this. I’ve been hit by a non-electric bike while I was in a crosswalk with the pedestrian signal on. The biker who ran the red light did not even stop when I was on the ground. Luckily, I wasn’t injured. The near misses are too many to mention. In Queens on Broadway they at least put up banners asking bicyclists to not ride on sidewalks. They’re down now. I sent an email to Gail Brewer about this issue. I didn’t even get a robo-response. When you’re on a sidewalk, especially under a scaffold, the e-bikers expect you to get out of their way. It’s the wild west on the upper west side, and there isn’t even a hint from our public servants that it’s a problem. Good luck out there everyone, and be careful.
I have been hit TWICE by non-electric bike riders while I was walking on the sidewalk. In both cases they hit me from behind so I couldn’t even dodge. They did not stop. I think one of them yelled something obscene at me. But perhaps it was an apology as he sped away.
I wish people would stop ordering things and get off their backsides and go pick them up (yes, I know there are some people who can’t but they are the exception to the rule). Less ordering means less delivery people. Very simple.
Let’s revert to the old days (like the great Seinfeld episode) with limited delivery areas. This is an easy way to help solve this problem. Heaven forbid you pick up the not-quite-as-good wonton soup from the place 2 blocks away rather than getting the extra special one from 20 blocks away.
Right – and was not too long ago.
Prior to Doordash and ebikes, there was always local delivery, typically within 20 blocks.
And easy to access for anyone who was homebound or had health issues etc.
Ironically it is the young healthy affluents who are the biggest users of food delivery.
Reading these comments is always so maddening and siloed. Until there can be a common sense discussion, and policy makers are willing to make and enforce laws we are going to see the same nonsense. Let’s all agree that cars should follow the rules of the road, be held accountable and ticketed (or more) when they break the law, or worse, hurt another human being. The SAME should be said about e-bikes. They should be licensed, be required to follow the rules of the road, and should be ticketed and held accountable when they do not. This is simple – this should not be a huge debate. I cannot prove this with 100 percent confidence, however I am fairly certain that if one stands at the intersection of 71st street where Amsterdam and Broadway criss cross, you will likely find many traffic violations by cars and e-bikes. However the number for e-bikes would likely be 10 fold more than by the cars. I hope to substantiate this.
i don’t think a single poster here actually is aware of the regulations that are actually in place and the current licensing requirements.
the failure here is the NYPD to enforce the existing laws. against cars or ebikes.
I too feel that e-bikes should be licensed.. Why the city doesn’t insist on controlling this chaos amazes me. Are they afraid that the drivers of these dangerous vehicles won’t be able to pass a test dealing with the rules of the road?
maybe they already need to be and you do not even know what the existing regulations are or why they are not enforced.
We need a database of all the bikes hitting pedestrians.
so we can see how many have not died, like the 5 people dead this weekend from hit and run car crashes?
It is absolutely unacceptable that this problem still persists, and that nothing continues to be done about the lawless reckless E bike riders terrorizing us on our streets and in our parks — not to mention the collateral damage of E batteries, exploding, catching fire and making every step we take like walking through a minefield.
C’mon, folks, you know this is a false di[tri]chotomy. It is NOT about “bikes are better / less dangerous than ebikes are better than cars” (in no particular order). They all can be dangerous; they all must be registered, licensed and insured; and new and existing rules of the road must be enforced (easy to say, granted). The back-and-forth arguing is pointless and unconstructive. Can we work together?
LOL you must be new here.
No criminality?. How the hell can this be????