By Gus Saltonstall
Multiple electric-bike battery swapping cabinets and charging stations could be headed to the Upper West Side, according to a recent announcement from the city.
E-bike battery swapping cabinets provide a safe location where drivers can either plug in and charge dead e-bike batteries or pick up a full new battery.
Last week, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of Transportation unveiled a preliminary list of 50 possible locations throughout the five boroughs for where these cabinets will be installed.
Here are the proposed locations for the Upper West Side.
- West 110th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
- West 106th Street and Amsterdam Avenue
- West 94th Street and Columbus Avenue
West 125th Street and 12th Avenue is also a proposed location for a charging station, which is steps away from Riverside Drive and the Hudson River Greenway.
“These e-bike battery swapping cabinets are about supporting workers, making our city safer and embracing the kinds of transportation New Yorkers are already turning to in growing numbers,” Mamdani said in a news release.
The battery swapping cabinets are specifically designed to mitigate the risk of fires caused by lithium-ion e-bike batteries; the fires can often be traced to low-quality batteries, improper charging in residential buildings, and/or a lack of safe storage space.
Along with the list of possible locations for the electric bike swapping cabinet, the DOT also launched a platform where New Yorkers can provide feedback on specific proposed locations, which you can do — HERE.
The portal will remain live until July 31, at which point the city will whittle down its preliminary list to 25 locations.
In 2024, the DOT conducted a six-month public e-bike battery charging pilot that concluded the “cabinets were safe, well-used and convenient for delivery workers.”
You can find out more about the incoming e-bike battery swapping cabinets and charging stations — HERE.
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E-bike battery swapping cabinets provide a safe location where drivers can either plug in and charge dead e-bike batteries or pick up a full new battery so they can speed at ridiculous rates the wrong way in the bike lanes and anywhere else they choose as they face ZERO consequences.
How do you manage to cross streets that have 2-way bike lanes? Probably the same way you would cross streets with cyclists going in both directions in a one-way bike lane. It’s not that hard to look both ways.
I never see cars going the wrong way on one way streets. Why must we accept this behavior from bicyclists?
Why do tax dollars need to pay for this?
This is a very competitive market where DoorDash has 38% of the market, UberEats is a close second, and Grubhub has around 17%. These are all corporate-owned companies. The burden should be on them to supply their workforce with the tools they need — not us, the taxpayer.
Why can’t they open “service centers” for their workers where there would bathrooms, chargers, and Wi-Fi? There are certainly plenty of empty storefronts where this would be feasible.
We can’t keep subsidizing these firms because we fell sorry for the “deliveristas?” Most of us cook at home (more economical) and rarely, if ever, order online. By this logic, should the city pay for the gas for Amazon trucks?
“Most of us cook at home” you say? Who are you talking about? Have you seen how busy the restaurants are? It certainly is mouth more economical to cook at home, which I do. But most of us don’t.
Very well stated. Thank you.
We should not be encouraging e-bikes. We should be trying to get rid of them altogether. They are awful for our neighborhood and city. As you and others have stated, if there are going to be charging stations and the like, let the companies pay for them. I am fairly sure that the vast majority of e-bike users are commercial delivery people.
A better solution would be for those who are able (which is the vast majority of us) to stop ordering from places that utilize e-bike deliveries. Until a few years ago we all survived without treasures being delivered by e-bike. We can revert to that. Get off your backsides and go buy things. Give business to stores that are closer to you. It’s really not that hard.
I would truly feel bad for the delivery drivers who are trying to make a living. I get it. But such is life. This is not an excuse for keeping e-bikes around.
As Lord Farquaad in Shrek once said: “Some of you may die, but it is a sacrifice I am willing to make”
You seem to be a bit of a Farquaad yourself, Leon. You know what else is awful for our neighborhood and city? CARS!
If you get to ban all e-bikes, then I get to ban all cars.
Deal? 😉
Cars are necessary to get places outside of NYC. And for people who live outside NYC to get into the city. I’m very sorry that you have no friends, family or acquaintances who live outside the city and apparently have no desire to explore the great, wonderful world beyond this wonderful island. Many of us do.
I am supportive of charging reasonable fees for street parking – cars should pay their fair share. But this childish hatred of cars by so many on this board is truly sad.
E-bikes are not necessary.
So if us pedestrians, bus and subway riders get to ban e-bikes, you get to ban walking, bus and subway?
I’ll be on board with banning all cars the moment I’m nearly killed by one going the wrong way down a one way street or speeding down a sidewalk.
so since it never happened to you, it never happens?
I can’t afford to pay the delivery fees for Uber Eats and other delivery apps. Now I will be subsidizing those who can afford it. How is this ok?
Idk. I do kinda feel bad for the gig labor class who have essentially no other options for work. These delivery drivers will bring your food all the way to the top floor, and I know from sentiment against delivery drivers that people aren’t tipping. Slave labor
Luke,
The biggest users of food delivery are the “young affluent” dmographic.
Like my neighbor age 35 who gets delivery nearly every day – sushi, salads, Starbucks, Levain cookies…
My family does not get food delivery, does not use Apps – ever.
We cook – could never afford that stuff.
They make $22.13 an hour before tips. Hardly slaves
Says who?
The law.
https://www.nyc.gov/site/dca/news/009-26/major-victory-nyc-delivery-workers-landmark-protections-take-effect-today
No way. Not until E-Bikes are treated as motor vehicles with commensurate registration/insurance/licensing
Why are we supporting wealthy tech companies that have done nothing to curb the reckless behavior of their networks of delivery people. Will the city buy me and my employees the tools we need to do our jobs? Can they pay the Electric bill for charging the batteries we need?
Social justice.
Please sit down and accept what you voted for.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Can you name some candidates for public office who would have stopped this plan but who failed to be elected?
Umm…Cuomo?
its s safety issue so that only batteries tht don’t explode get used.
but you were trying to be clever. dumb,
OPOE really out here changing the world for the better
Please no. Also remove citi bike entirely, thanks
Why? I can’t fit a bike in my studio
They are planning on Turning Lincoln Centers plaza into bike storage so no worries, reserve your spot today.
Richard, can you document that? Thanks.
maybe we can claw back 1 or2 parking space on each block and use it for bike storage?
funny how bikes at lincoln center is too much, but cars every where you possibly look is a-ok
1. Corporate apps – UberEast, DoorDash etc – should be responsible and set up space. They certainly have the money.
2. Why wouldn’t “progressive” elected officials want the Apps to be responsible?
3. As for the location, seems to me that it would be much better locate where there is much more space such as:
97th near Columbus (wide sidewalk)
62nd between Columbus & Amsterdam (uncrowded wide sidewalk and near a garage)
61st between CPW and Broadway (quiet sidewalk near billionaire building 15 CPW)
Since when we subsidize corporations?
Awesome!!! Love the accessibility and micro mobility projects coming to the UWS. It really has been win after win this year. While this is a great first step, I hope congestion pricing is extended to the entire island of Manhattan so even more people will trade out their car for e-bikes. Let’s go!
You’re pretty good at satire. Have you tried stand-up?
Bicyclists are not former drivers – they are former subway and bus users.
Bicycling does not reduce car use – it reduces mass transit use.
Moreover, continued high rise luxury development inevitably generates more vehicles – service, delivery, ecommerce at minimum
How does this actually work? The article provides no details on how to access the services… Is it free… I think not…. How do you contact the city to use one of these battery stations. There is no information provided in this article.. The link that says more information here does not provide that information
What about the fire hazard some of these batteries pose?
Why are tax payers paying for this???
Excellent news.
All three proposed recharging stations in the 16-block stretch between W. 94 St. and W. 110 St.? None in the West 60s, West 70s, or West 80s? Once again, the undesirable and the unsightly get pushed uptown.
Per suggestion above, there should be one on empty 61st Street by billionaire building 15 CPW.
Yes! That’s because our elected officials do not push back. They need to hear from us in the 90’s-110th, that we are done with the shelter on every block in the 90’s – 110th. They put anything they want in the area because no one speaks up and tells Shaun Abreu and Gale Brewer ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
In 5 years starting in 2019 they put 6 shelters between 94th and 99th with no support. They are all men with complex problems – drug addicted, mentally ill. No families. IS THAT FAIR?
It would change things in the 90’s-110th if people would make a QUICK CALL and speak up! We have been abused and we let them do it. I haven’t.
There have been a number of comments that the City should require the apps – DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub – to assume responsibility for this.
Incredibly , on the Sanitation department website, people who need to purchase compost bins and want bins delivered are advised to use: “for delivery through DoorDash, Instacart, or Uber Eats”