#e-bike-regulation

#e-bike-regulation

Fueled by the expansion of protected bike lanes and bike-sharing systems like Citi Bike, cycling is increasingly becoming a preferred mode of transportation for many New Yorkers. According to data from the NYC Department of Transportation , the number of daily cycling trips rose 64% between 2013 and 2023. A survey from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene found that more than 762,000 New Yorkers ride a bike regularly.

E-bike safety advocates like myself have long warned about "bikelash": the predictable backlash that occurs when policymakers misdiagnose the e-moto problem as an e-bike problem. The recently enacted - and extraordinarily restrictive - New Jersey law is a textbook example of bikelash unleashed. It is also a case study in legislative malpractice. The law was reportedly triggered by the tragic death of a 13-year-old riding what was described as an "e-bike" in a collision with a truck in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said there will be a "full review" of how electric bikes and e-scooters are regulated alongside a ban on scramblers in public parks and roads.

In a special Ask-Me-Anything episode of the StreetSmart podcast, Streetsblog California editor Damien Newton reflects on his first year leading the site while answering reader-submitted questions on politics, transportation policy, and advocacy. Newton opens by thanking listeners for helping the nonprofit newsroom reach its annual fundraising goal, then explains why, as head of a 501(c)(3), he cannot endorse candidates or say who he is voting for in upcoming elections.

This week's e-bike news covers topics ranging from new e-bike speed limits to ALSO's e-quadricycle to a prototype brake rotor for eMTBs. New York City recently implemented mayor Eric Adams' plan to limit e-bike and e-scooter speeds to 15 mph while allowing analog bikes to travel faster. Rivian's e-mobility brand ALSO plans to offer a four-wheeled, pedal-powered vehicle for both commercial and consumer use. Amazon struck a deal to deploy thousands of units in locations across the US and Europe.

Take a picture, save the city. This just in from our friends at CHEKPEDS (which sort of stands for the Clinton-Hell's Kitchen-Chelsea Coalition for Pedestrian Safety): a new app that you need now more than ever. The same people who created the indepensible Crashmapper are back with "Walkmapper," which allows you to snap a picture of a streetscape defect and report it directly to the city and the elected official in that neighborhood. Manhattan Community Board 4 used it recently to report more than 200 missing pedestrian ramps! (It's also great for reporting a missing bike rack, a broken streetlight, or an ill-timed crosswalk light.)

Mayor Eric Adams claims that the Department of Sustainable Delivery will support delivery workers, enhance pedestrian safety, and hold delivery app companies accountable for pressure on gig workers.