Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News An e-bike delivery rider is seen in Manhattan. New Yorkers are rightly afraid of being clocked by zooming, silent e-bikes and something has to be done. The 8 million pedestrians shouldn’t have to change our ways, but the handful of delivery companies deploying the army of e-bikes must reform.
Yes, we agree with Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, who testified on proposed e-bike regulations before the City Council last week that the reckless driving of cars “remains, by far, the biggest threat to pedestrian safety. So far this year, 105 pedestrians were killed by car or [a] large vehicle, compared to only six killed in crashes with e-bikes, mopeds and standup e-scooters combined.”
But walking or standing on the sidewalk is almost always safe from cars. However, an e-bike might suddenly appear on a sidewalk or in the road by running a red light or by going the wrong direction on a one-way street. As Rodriguez said, the deliveristas are racing to make a few bucks where every minute means money.
We sympathize with the majority of the Council who support a bill by Councilman Bob Holden to require every e-bike to be licensed and registered by the city. The concept is attractive, to treat anything with a motor like a car, but it just may not be practical.
A better way, as urged by Rodriguez and Councilwoman Gale Brewer, may be to target the commercial uses of e-bikes, where giant apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and […]
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