NYC Could Push E-Bike Riders Toward Slower Models

NEW YORK CITY— City Council spent hours debating , after a series of fatal crash spurred the hearing on Wednesday.

The City Council discussed 23 proposals, a record for a single topic, but did not settle on how to make electric bikes and scooters safer without driving delivery workers off the streets.

Lawmakers could decide their fate early next year.

E-bike riders suffered 738 injuries and 13 deaths during the first half of 2026, compared with 601 injuries and 10 deaths during the same period in 2025, according to the City Council.

A dump truck struck and killed a 50-year-old woman riding an e-bike on 34th Street on Monday, making her the 20th cyclist killed in New York City this year, compared with 15 during the same period last year.

All but three of this year's cyclist deaths involved people riding e-bikes, according to city data.

Could NYC Ban E-Bikes?

Crystal Hudson's Intro 244 would prohibit the sale and rental of Class 3 e-bikes. A separate proposal, T2026-2361, would prohibit their operation in public places.

The operation proposal would begin with warnings before April 1, 2029. Later violations could bring escalating penalties and, for repeat unsafe operation, impoundment.

"Instead of banning the tools that delivery workers depend on to work, we should focus on the underlying goal: reducing e-bike speeds," April Herms, deputy director of Workers Justice Project, said at the hearing.

Workers Justice Project estimates replacing 20,000 bikes could cost about $100 million, based on a previous city program.

Herms proposed paying bike shops to modify existing motors so they cannot exceed 20 miles per hour.

But city officials warned against measures it argues could increase police encounters for a largely immigrant workforce.

"We are never going to have safety on New York City streets if our delivery workers feel they need to choose between their livelihood and their safety," Sam Levine, Department of Consumer and Worker Protection commissioner, said.

Who Should Police Unsafe Delivery Riding?

Intro 950, sponsored by Council Member Lynn Schulman, would expand Department of Consumer and Worker Protection licensing requirements for delivery services.

Intro 389, sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler, would require delivery apps to verify workers' moped registrations.

Another Restler proposal, T2026-2587, would require apps to detect unsafe riding and notify workers. Three notifications within seven days could trigger a required safety course before a worker receives more assignments.

"The delivery companies have unfortunately created an incentive model that rewards drivers who deliver goods as quickly as humanly possible," Restler said.

He also argued that the apps profit from illegal riding, a contention the industry disputes.

Uber, one of the companies facing scrutiny, rejected the idea that its payment system rewards speed.

"Uber does not pay them more for riding faster or penalize them for taking longer," Josh Gold, testifying for the company, said.

Crash survivors and their families pushed for Priscilla's Law, a state proposal named for Priscilla Loke, an educator killed in 2023 by a rider on an electric Citi Bike.

The proposal would require electric bikes and scooters statewide to carry registration and license plates, allowing authorities to identify riders after crashes.

Intro 802, the City Council version associated with registration, was not among the proposals considered at Wednesday's hearing.

What Would The New Rules Mean For Riders?

Another measure would require Citi Bike riders to confirm they have reviewed traffic rules.

Council Speaker Julie Menin also said she would seek an age-verification system for Citi Bike riders, after a 15-year-old girl riding a Citi Bike was killed by a truck in September. City law sets 16 as the minimum age for riding an e-bike.

The Council is also considering tools to help officials distinguish legal bikes from illegal ones.

Abreu has proposed allowing traffic officials to use dynamometers, devices that measure speed and power, when they have probable cause to believe a bike violates the law.

Electric scooters weighing less than 100 pounds can operate at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. Electric bikes capable of exceeding 25 miles per hour are illegal. The City's operating limit for electric bikes and scooters is 15 miles per hour.

The City has already been inspecting businesses that sell and service electric bikes.

Levine said a recent enforcement sweep found 53 noncompliant businesses. Thirteen later came into compliance, while 40 required additional follow-up.