You may be used to seeing people riding around on them, but e-bikes and e-scooters officially became legal throughout NYC’s five boroughs on Monday, November 23.
The scooters are allowed to reach speeds of 20 miles per hour, and the bikes can accelerate to 25 MPH.
While some are concerned about the potential danger these devices may pose to pedestrians and drivers – hoping they don’t bring about the recklessness that was seen among some Revel riders earlier this year – the green light is being celebrated by delivery workers and transportation advocates who have fought for this.
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The legalization of these vehicles was passed in June, alongside with legislation to require the Department of Transportation to create sharing programs similar to Citi Bike, which is expected to launch in spring 2021.
Companies are expected to be competing for spots in this program, but riders are also free to use their own electric bikes and scooters.
Lawmakers began to push to lift the ban on these vehicles when the pandemic started, as many New Yorkers became wary of riding public transportation.
One of the bill’s main sponsors, Councilman Fernando Cabrera of The Bronx, said of the legislation that “It couldn’t come at a better time during this Covid era. The world is recognizing that we have a new, alternative mode of transportation. For essential workers especially, they’re going to feel more comfortable now.”
Great. Can’t wait for more inconsiderate pricks to ride these on the sidewalk and crash into others’ knees. /s
As if the sidewalks and streets aren’t already dangerous enough. This is bad news.
CrankyPants, you need to stay indoors. Always. If you go out, you could slip in the snow, trip over a curb, get bitten by a squirrel, panhandled by a covid breather, bumped by a five year old on a mini scooter, screamed at by a screamer, lose an ear to an ambulance siren or get felled by a 101 degree day. Stay home, for all our benefit.
That’s just silly. There are some things we have little or no control over, and some things we do. We have far less control of the things you mention than we do with the regulation of scooters and enforcement of laws. Maybe you should stop wearing a seat belt for a while and see how things go. LOL.
I just purchased an e-bike today! 🙂
I don’t have a problem with them if they ride in the ROADWAY, not in the bicycle lanes. After having walked across the Queensboro/Ed Koch bridge on Sunday and seeing 1 accident, numerous moped/motorcycle looking vehicles, along with the “regular” motorized bikes and uni-wheel/gyro wheel things, I am especially against having them share the same space as pedestrians, who are always on the losing side of this equation.
This is a bad idea, particularly given that we have just had another death from a scooter, and two serious injuries to pedestrians on the UWS. As well, Revel – which was forced to shut down after three deaths in as many weeks, and told to make changes to improve safety – has returned, yet there has been ZERO change; the bikes are still unwieldy for many, people do not wear helmets, and the riders, like almost all scooter riders, do not obey traffic laws: they fly through red lights, make right turns on red, go the wrong way up one-way streets, etc. And I have seen an increasing number of scooter riders riding on the sidewalk! They also ride in the bike lane, which is illegal – and dangerous – since it is made for non-motorized vehicles only.
Unless and until there is a way to make them safe, and actually enforce the law with them,. they should be banned. Period.
These are motorized vehicles and should require licenses both for the vehicles and their operators. They fail to follow traffic laws. The riders use them at top speed through red lights and on sidewalks. They are a threat to pedestrians. They need regulation.
I agree that this is a BAD idea. Many of these riders go through red lights, ride the wrong way down the street, ride on sidewalks, and pretty much don’t obey the traffic rules. I can’t tell you how many time I was almost hit crossing the street on a green light by these morons who think the rules don’t apply to them. If they are now legal, they need to obey traffic rules and signals and the police need to enforce this so we are not risking our life crossing a road. Very early the other morning one of the idiots was going the wrong way on a 1 way street and I yelled at him and he spit at me, turned the corner on a red light and continued up CPW going through 3 red lights while in the middle of the street. The city needs the rules enforced because there are too many of them now on the streets out of control.
Rental e-scooters in Manhattan? That will be terrible. I have been in other cities and they are just left lying on the sidewalk. That on top of accidents.
Actually, there have been rental scooters (Revel) for several months. As noted, however, Revel was forced to shut down its operations in NYC after there were three fatalities in as many weeks. And they were supposed to make changes – some of which they did, some of which they did not – but even if they had, they cannot change the selfishness and stupidity of the users. Since Revel returned, there has already been one fatality, and several injuries, two of which I am personally aware of. As a long-time UWSer, we used to say, “How many deaths will it take?” before there are greater restrictions and monitoring and enforcement for REGULAR bicycles. Now, we have these silent killers on the street (and sometimes sidewalks), and it apparently doesn’t matter HOW many deaths or injuries there are; little or nothing will ever be done about it.
I think everyone confuses scooters with revel. Revels are mopeds which is entirely different. So when you guys discuss scooters, make sure it is about the appropriate ones. I ride my e-scooter on the side walk and the street. When there’s people I hop off and peacefully walk through the crowd.
NO electric vehicles – scooters or mopeds – are permitted on the sidewalk. So you are still breaking the law, and creating a danger to pedestrians. Stay off the sidewalk!!
Been riding through cops and even saying hello to them. No one has stopped me or ticketed me. Everyone makes their own decision. When the sidewalk isn’t empty I go to the street.
People like you love trying to tell riders what to do.
It’s not about choice or decision. It is the law! Stay the f— off the sidewalk, a-hole.
Chad, I’m curious why you would think to ride anything on the sidewalk, rather than ride in the roadway. A sidewalk is meant for pedestrians, not people riding something (unless you’re 5). I’m a long-time cyclist, and if I’m riding a bike, it’s in the roadway. If I’m walking my bike, then I’ll head towards a sidewalk (should one exist). Thanks for listening.
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