Mayor Cracks Down on Motorized Bikes

By BRIAN MORENO

After many complaints from citizens regarding threats to safety from electric bikes, unlicensed motorized vehicles that are bigger, heavier and faster than regular bikes, Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed on Thursday to remove them from the city streets.

De Blasio, among other elected and police officials, went to Verdi Square on Thursday on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, to announce a plan to enforce the policies of seizing electric bikes from their drivers and fining the driver’s employers.

“What people have seen is absolutely unacceptable, electric bicycles going the wrong way down the streets, weaving in and out of traffic, ignoring traffic signals, sometimes going up on sidewalks,” said de Blasio regarding the dangers posed by the vehicle.  “You know it’s one thing if a regular bicycle does that it’s a problem. Electronic bicycles are so much faster, it creates a real danger”

While it is legal to own an electric bike in New York City, it is illegal to operate one, although there are exceptions concerning the elderly or people with disabilities.

 In the past, the motorist operating the electric bike would be fined. However, de Blasio now proposed also fining the employers and businesses who use them mostly for deliveries.

First offenses earn $100 fines, and $200 for subsequent offenses. Drivers face up to  $500 fines per incident. Eventually, bikes would be confiscated and not returned unless all fines are paid.

“What we’re going to be doing over next month is issue new directives to all our officers, training them in how can we start hitting the business with the fines, “ said Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan. “What will happen is, operating an e-bike [electric bike] anywhere in the city of New York is illegal. So if you’re caught operating it, we will stop you, you will be issued a summons, and we’ll seize the bikes but we also going to identify what business you’re delivery.”

According to de Blasio, the New York Police Department has confiscated over 900 electric bikes this year.

The new policies were scheduled to take effect on January 1.