E-Bike Fans and Foes Agree: Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit Won’t Make Streets Safer

Mayor Adams’s proposed 15 mile per hour e-bike speed limit won’t make the city safer, both critics and boosters of electric bicycles said at a public hearing on Monday.

The two-hour feedback meeting on the controversial rule change quickly devolved into a gripe session, with a substantial contingent from the group E-Vehicle Safety Alliance trying to steer the discussion toward licensing the devices, which its members believe creates “chaos” in the city.

“Of course we support lowering the speed limit for e-vehicles to 15 miles an hour, but make no mistake, this will do nothing to solve the problems that we face with the chaos and danger caused by bike riders breaking existing laws,” said Ron Wisniski, of the EVSA, at the virtual Department of Transportation hearing. “Put a license plate and a registration on each one, and everyone will then be identified… that alone will solve much of the problem.”

The group has long pushed for the city to issue license plates to electric bicycles, claiming that would hold riders more accountable, despite concerns whether it would even be legal, and a lack of evidence that it would increase safety.

Those questions have dogged Hizzoner’s e-bike speed limit since he unveiled the idea last month. Adams announced his policy weeks after deploying cops to issue criminal summonses to e-bike and pedal-powered bike riders, claiming that the city’s traffic safety efforts have unfairly targeted motorists.

Another member of EVSA, who was struck by an e-bike rider on the Upper West Side and underwent spinal surgery two years ago, questioned the effectiveness of the lower speeds, while backing the NYPD’s crackdown.

“A 15 mile-an-hour speed limit is admirable, but it won’t solve the problem. I support the 15 mile-an-hour e bike limit, but I also support, these days, the criminal summonses that are being issued, because they are forced to be issued because there is no accountability,” said Renee Baruch. “It’s time to make them accountable. They have hurt enough people.”

One regular e-bike rider agreed that the city should act, but against out-of-control cars, who account for virtually all traffic violence.

“We need to regulate and we need to enforce the rules on vehicles that maim and kill hundreds of innocent New Yorkers every year,” said Enrique Facundo. “Cars is what I’m talking about, and I want to remind you all they’re already registered and insured.”

Several others testified about how e-bikes have changed the way they move around the city, and that their speeds are crucial to riding more safely.

“Switching to an e-bike has been a game changer for my safety,” said Casey Martinez. “Having the ability to sometimes go the same speed as the cars, I’m visible. Before, I was invisible to them, and I’ve had very scary close calls.”

The more serious problem is that the city has neglected to upgrade its infrastructure to handle e-bikes, by building out a comprehensive network of protected and wide bike lanes, said another rider.

“We’re being put into conflict with pedestrians, and it’s because we don’t have safe protected bike lanes,” said Gabriel Zeinoun. “I’ve heard this like argument you know, they have licenses, they’re registered – it doesn’t matter, 90 percent of people I see on the road are on their phone. They’re not even looking at the road.”

Meanwhile, both sides of City Hall have actively worked to keep the streets less safe, with the mayor pushing to rip up the protected bike lane on Bedford Avenue, and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams refusing to activate a law for a citywide speed limit of 20 mph, which has been gathering dust since last year.

The mayor’s deputy Randy Mastro has already strong-armed Citi Bike’s operator Lyft into slowing down its e-bike fleet to 15 mph, to the chagrin of many riders.

The mayor’s e-bike attacks also threaten to undo decades of work to make cycling a more substantial transportation mode in the city, one former high ranking DOT recently told Streetsblog.

Close to 800 people commented on the rule as of late Monday, and DOT plans to issue a final rule after reviewing the comments.