Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday proposed a rule to establish a 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes, electric scooters and other pedal-assisted commercial bicycles.
The administration said it’s the same limit currently applied to stand-up e-scooters.
“I have heard, over and over again, from New Yorkers about how their safety — and the safety of their children — has been put at risk due to speeding e-bikes and e-scooters, and today, our administration is saying enough is enough: We are implementing a new 15-mile-per-hour speed limit for e-bikes and e-scooters that will make our streets safer," Adams said in a statement.
The administration says the new rule would put the city in line with other parts of the world, including the European Union.
“Thankfully, the vast majority of e-bike and stand-up e-scooter users operate their devices safely, but we are using every tool in our safety toolkit and studying worldwide best practices, to ensure every New Yorker is traveling at safe speeds on our streets,” Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement.
Mayor Adams also pushed the City Council to take up legislation he had previously proposed to create a Department of Sustainable Delivery. He says this would “strengthen delivery worker, battery, and traffic safety,” but claims the legislation has stalled in the council for over nine months without ever being introduced.
Adams also announced the city will look into installing more physical safety measures in city parks to protect both riders and pedestrians.