E-bikes could become legal across New York with vote Wednesday

Officers from the 10th Precinct in Manhattan stand with seized e-bikes in January. Photo via 10th Precinct/Twitter.

By Phineas Rueckert

A bill to legalize e-bikes and e-scooters statewide could come to a vote before the end of the legislative session.

Activists have hailed the bill, sponsored by Queens Assemblymember Nily Rozic and State Sen. Jessica Ramos, as a breakthrough piece of legislation that will protect low-income and immigrant delivery workers across the city. Even as large e-bike and e-scooter companies push the city to legalize the vehicles, workers are routinely ticketed while carrying food to customers.

“As a member of the #DeliverJustice Coalition, [we] couldn’t be more overjoyed to hear that Albany will soon legalize ebikes,” Biking Public Project spokesperson Macartney Morris told the Eagle by email Monday. “It’s impossible to overstate just how impactful the passage of S5294 will be for tens of thousands of workers and immigrants who deliver food daily in New York City.”

Curbed reported that the bill will legalize all e-bikes, and allow municipalities to set rules regarding e-scooters through City Council vote. Riding certain electric-assist vehicles across New York State currently results in a $500 fine — which activists say are unfairly levied on low-income workers.  

Mayor Bill de Blasio has expressed concern about the safety of e-bikes, but NYPD data compiled by NYC Streetsblog found that less than 1 percent of all traffic accidents in New York State last year involved e-bikes.

“Mayor Bill de Blasio’s NYPD crackdown on e-bikes was never about street safety or transportation policy; it was always just a complaint-driven campaign of police harassment against ebikes and the working cyclists who rode them,” Morris said. “We say: ‘good riddance.’”

The bill appears to have the support of both de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, City and State reported.

In addition to passing the bill, the city can do more to protect workers from unnecessary policing, Morris said,

“Requirements in the new law, particularly regarding labeling, should not be allowed to be used as impetus for NYPD to continue its ebike crackdown in new form,” he said. “Members of the city council can make this clear by quickly configuring city law to match state law in fully and fairly legalizing ebikes, followed by much needed attention to improving poor labor conditions in the industry."