New York City has seen a sharp increase in e-bikes, along with most other major US cities, in recent months. The recent wave of e-bikes zipping around the city only adds to the confusion of how to properly police the new transportation device. Following a new speed limit introduced by the current mayor of NYC for e-bikes, reports have emerged of citizens exceeding the speed limit and taking advantage of the police’s unfamiliarity with the new form of personal mobility. The city has strict rules over the use and sale of the new mobility technology; despite that, some e-bikes can outrun Johnny Law, and the state is not happy about it.
NYC’s bikelanes are littered with “e-bikes” breaking the speed limit and endangering residents
Mayor Adams recently signed into law a new speed limit aimed directly at the e-bikes that have begun to populate the city. It is now illegal to operate an e-bike over 25 miles per hour in NYC, but that has certainly not stopped online retailers from selling them, or from people purchasing them and riding around the city like maniacs on a speed record run.
While NYC has a reputation for being an exceedingly hard place to drive a car, e-bikes have become incredibly popular, especially among the litany of delivery drivers who zip around the city. However, a recent and worrying trend has emerged where people exceed the speed limit designed to keep the city’s bikelanes and sidewalks safe by using Class 3 bikes that are sold as “e-bikes”, but are closer to a moped or motorized scooter.
Confusion over the designation of these Class 3 bikes has plagued NYC’s streets over the past few months
The major confusion stems from the fact that these bikes are sold as e-bikes, operated as a scooter, and can reach speeds that even Valentino Rossi would find a little excessive. E-bikes are supposed to be a silent and safe form of personal mobility that does not reach breakneck speeds and pose a significant threat to residents or tourists aimlessly milling about the city streets.
The NYC Police Department has started to crack down on the e-bike operators
Following a directive set out by the Mayor’s office, the NYPD has begun to crack down on the use of Class 3 bikes sold as e-bikes that exceed regulated speed limits in NYC. It should be noted that the police officers trying to keep the city’s streets safe have not received sufficient training to be able to spot the unchecked speed machines that have littered NYC streets.
Class 3 bikes, according to the state of New York, are bikes that have a throttle and are subject to a different set of laws than legally designated e-bikes. Some users are setting their Class 3 bikes sold as e-bikes to “city mode” to use them on NYC’s streets, which has led to the police cracking down on anything vaguely resembling an e-bike.
An official statement from the New York City Mayor’s office notes that the NYPD will continue to stop and check riders using e-bikes to ascertain whether they meet the required speed limitations in NYC.
The wave of new e-bikes has placed residents walking NYC’s streets at risk
We are all fully aware of the disdain that NYC has for motorized vehicles; it is practically impossible to use a car in the city, and many residents opt for the subway or a taxi to get around the Big Apple. The recent uptake in e-bike operators has resulted in some residents calling for more stringent policing to ensure their safety on NYC’s streets. Police carry a lot of responsibility and, at times, serve as law enforcement, a psychologist, and even, in very rare cases, doctors. To expect them to efficiently police e-bikes might be a stretch too far; however, the Mayor has insisted that the new speed limit for e-bikes will alleviate the risk for residents.
