NEW YORK — A hearing on e-bike safety was underway Wednesday at City Hall, with lawmakers discussing a proposal that would regulate the bikes and require them to be licensed.
Supporters say it would make streets safer and bike riders more accountable, but critics argue it would be too expensive to implement and enforce.
Currently, e-bikes are not regulated by the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, but the proposal, “Intro 606,” would require them to be licensed and registered.
Here’s what Priscilla’s Law entails
The law, dubbed “Priscilla’s Law,” is named after Priscilla Loke, who was killed in September 2023 after she was struck by an e-bike while walking to work in Chinatown.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, e-bikes and e-scooters caused nearly 250,000 emergency room visits and 215 deaths nationwide from 2017 to 2022.
City Councilman Robert Holden, who sponsored the bill, and other advocates and survivors of e-bike accidents, spoke out about the dangers of e-bikes riding on sidewalks, going the wrong way, and leaving the scene of accidents.
“Priscilla Loke was killed. There’s never any accountability. Riders flee 90% of the time,” said Janet Schroeder, co-founder of the New York City E-Vehicle Safety Alliance.
“Red light cameras and speed cameras are important, so we’re gonna use that technology, plus police officers. What else can we do? I’d like to hear solutions from anybody else out there who says ‘I don’t want license plates,'” Holden said.
“We don’t even know how expensive this bill would be” Â
“If you read the bill, itself, it applies to every single motorized vehicle in New York City that is not currently regulated by the DMV, so that includes e-scooters. That includes e-bikes. That includes your electric wheelchair if you’re disabled and you get around. You’re going to have to license and register all of those vehicle vehicles,” said Alexa Sledge, spokesperson for the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives. “We don’t even know how expensive this bill would be.”
Transportation Alternatives says no cost has ever been discussed, adding “Priscilla’s Law” would require new DMV-type bureaus to be established around the city to license the tens and thousands of electric devices.
The bill’s sponsor said the legislation is still in the early stages, adding many details still need to be worked out.
It likely will be months before a vote is held on the proposal.
