Wheel see: The path to a safe introduction of e-bikes and scooters on New York streets is clear
Make way. (Getty Images)
A
second attempt to legalize zippy e-bikes and e-scooters on the state’s
streets is here, the result of negotiations between Gov. Cuomo and the
Legislature, and it fixes some but not all of the mistakes made in the
first go-round.
Wisely,
the new framework would require stand-up, motorized scooters —
including those that might be part of any scooter-sharing network,
except in Manhattan where that’s barred — to top out at 15 mph, while
limiting their use to 16-year-olds and up and requiring minors wear
helmets. We want helmets for all but can live with this compromise if
speeds are properly capped.
It
would prohibit e-scooters and e-bikes on sidewalks (yes, kiddos can
still ride there) and break e-bikes into three categories based on
whether they’re throttle-powered or pedal-assist, and their speed, with
the fastest allowed to go up to 25 mph and requiring helmets.
And,
as before, local governments can have tighter restrictions, though we
think outright bans are silly in an age when bicycles have made a big
comeback.
Still,
we don’t get how cops can consistently enforce laws based on fine
distinctions about whether a given e-bike or scooter is going 15 or 16
mph, or 20 or 21 mph. And how does one at a glance tell apart three
classes of e-bikes, none of which needs a license to ride, and three classes of mopeds, all of which require licenses and registration?
Let no one be under the illusion that enforcement, if there is any, will be anything but arbitrary.
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