Sen. Liz Krueger. Senate bills and information about the prevalence of fires caused by Lithium ion batteries.
Lithium-Ion Battery Safety:
Last month I introduced two new bills (S.9597 and S.9596) designed to address the proliferation of fires caused by malfunctioning lithium-ion batteries used to power e-bikes, e-scooters, and other micromobility devices. The bills would prohibit the sale of such batteries unless they are tested by a nationally recognized testing laboratory (such as Underwriters Laboratories), and would also prohibit the sale of reconditioned or second-use lithium-ion batteries. he New York City Council is also considering legislation to address the risks these batteries pose.
Reconditioned and untested batteries are contributing to a serious threat to the health and safety of New Yorkers in their homes and in their jobs, whether it's delivery workers trying to make a living, or residential tenants living next to a fly-by-night charging business. When a piece of equipment has the potential to cause so much damage, we simply cannot have a wild west approach without any oversight. Micromobility devices are here to stay, and their use is continuing to expand, so we must act quickly to ensure they are used in a responsible way that doesn't put other people at risk.
Over the past year, New York City has experienced a rapid increase in lithium-ion battery-related fires, largely associated with e-bikes. It has been reported that an e-bike or e-scooter battery causes a fire in the City four times a week, on average. As of October 30th, 2022, the FDNY investigated 174 battery-related fires this year, which puts the City on track to double the total number of battery related fires from 2021 (104 fires) and quadruple the number from 2020 (44 fires). 6 New Yorkers have died in fires caused by e-bikes this year, and 139 have been injured, including 38 of Sen. Krueger's constituents in a single fire in a high-rise apartment in East Midtown.
The FDNY has found that some of these battery fires have resulted from second-use lithium-ion batteries that contained reassembled used batteries. These batteries were not intended to be used in this way, and it is likely that this was a factor in the battery combusting. Additionally, there are a lot of non-proprietary batteries available for purchase online that claim to be compatible with e-bikes and e-scooters, however little to no information is available about the safety of these products.
S.9597 would require that all batteries sold in New York for mobility devices be tested for safety and certified by a nationally recognized laboratory or other approved organization, and that such certification be clearly labeled on battery packaging. S.9596 would ban the sale of second-use lithium ion batteries designed for use in e-bikes and e-scooters. Both bills provide for fines reaching up to $1000 per offense.
OP ED VILLAGE SUN NOV 28,2022
Concerns the advocated health benefits of
walking and cycling vs the public safety crisis
due to lack of regulation and enforcement
Featuring comments by NYC DOT Commissioner
Ydanis Rodrieguez and responses by writer
and readers of The Village Sun
https://thevillagesun.com/editorial-the-elephant-on-the-scooter
Lithium batteries-fires-risk.
THE CITY Nov 22,22
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CHARLES KOMANOFF-WRONG on NUCLEAR ENERGY
WRONG ON VISION 0 ??
Before he left office the popular Brooklyn Boro President Marty Markowitz
referred to the frantic intensity with which the advocates for Vision 0 were
pursuing a carless city as "zealotry". Having managed to prosoletyze
then DOT Commissioner J Sadik Khan and persuade Mayor Bloomberg that one way to attract the tech industry was to minimize enforcement on the
techies who fanicied riding bikes for transportation and fun a fanatic and
irresponsible course was set which has resulted in a city without a responsible
micro transport culture and a public safety crisis.Further the NYPD has been
undermined. There was never an environmental impact study done. The
city now has world class congestion which has not been beneficial for air quality
which was the initial pitch to arouse the fervor of the followers.
Charles Komanoff was one of the founders of Transportation Alternatives.
He has spun a shape shifting web of statistics and sophistry to continue to
support Vision 0 while the ctiy continues to suffer deaths by cyclists and numberless
accidents caused by bike riding rogues who hit pedestrians. The statistcs are not
kept for emergency room visits.It is not possible to calculate the close calls that
have resulted in a justified paranoia on the part of pedestrians young and old.
The following is a link to a story concerning the 180 degree about face on the
use of nuclear energy by Komanoff. He had been a vociferous and omnipresent
detractor of the use of nuclear energy. Now as the reality of global warming has
become incontrovertible he has capitulated to right and reason.
About the same time that Komanoff took up his cudgel against nuclear energy
he had a vision on a carless New York City. Given the epidemic of insult, injury
loss of business, expanded emergency response time and the stress of living in
an environment of ongoing jeopardy and the recognition that far from improving
the environment Vision 0 has maligned it-it is time for reasonable and responsible
people to acknowledge that Charles Komanoff was WRONG on NUCLEAR ENERGY
and is WRONG on VISION 0.
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| Fri, Nov 11, 4:43 AM (2 days ago) | ||
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FORBES MAG-BIKE LANES DON'T MAKE SAFE CYCLING
Forbes details another of the futile and fatal flaws that the empirical
environmental impact study of Vision Zero has revealed. Bike Lanes
do not make safe cycling. Safe cyclists make safe cycling. The intentional
lack of a responsible 2 wheeled culture lands squarely on the febrile shoulders
of the 2 wheeled advocates. They prevailed on previous mayors to withhold
NYPD enforcement to increase ridership. The hypotheses being that the more
bikes on the streets the safer the streets.This has been proven to be wrong.
No matter how the statistics are spun. No matter how specious the arguments.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dianafurchtgott-roth/2022/09/08/bike-lanes-dont-make-cycling-safe/?sh=55cbff854ca8
Emergency Response Times Expanded Costing Lives
This is a piece from the NY Post detailing how the various
additions to street archetecture-bike lanes, Bike racks,outdoor dining
shacks have made it diffiicult to impossible for emergency vehicles to
negotiate the streets to respond to emergencies. Fire trucks and EMS
vehicles are burdened and response times have expanded. Deaths have
resulted and will continue to result. Unnecessary. Akin to the unnecessary
deaths resulting from a city without a responsible 2 wheeled culture.
ncontrovertible evidence-stats...facts...
"Critics point to the Big Apple’s controversial street-
“When you see the amount of construction with the bike lanes and those issues in certain areas, you have instances where these long [fire] trucks can no longer make the turn onto or off of a block,” said Andrew Ansbro, president of the Uniform Firefighters Association.
“It definitely causes delays, and delays cost lives.”
This is an exerpt from Mayor Adam's Op Ed addressing the reforms that are being implemented
at the Riker's Island Correctional Facility. Riker's Island is generally acknowledged to be a
"Hellhole". Allowed to become a nearly lawless environment. Not good for the incarcerated.
The employees. For society. There is a similar need for a multi agency TASK FORCE to address
the PUBLIC SAFETY and mental health crisis bludgeoning the quality of life on the city streets and
sidewalks. We the public respectfully request that Manhattan Boro President Mark Levine step
to this crisis and form such a TASK FORCE.
Though we are only 10 months into this new era, Commissioner Molina and the Task Force have already been singled out in the latest Nunez Monitor Status Report for their efforts to make progress. The latest report, released just last week, stated that the Task Force has “effectively resolved a number of issues that required multiagency collaboration and cooperation.” The report also praised the commissioner’s hiring decisions, clear mandates and courage to make unpopular yet important changes.
We know that a tremendous amount of hard work lies ahead in order to make our jails safer, but I’m proud that the report recognized the work that Commissioner Molina and his team have already done within a short tiTHE STATE OF THE CITY STREETS & SIDEWALKS
(THE CITY) 10/25/22
A good rundown of the lawless state of the cycling and micro transport madness.
Worth noting that the alternate trasnportation has diminished ridership on the crime ridden
subways. The bottomline is that no infrastructure will provide safety of cycling or pedestrians without
a responsible bike culture. Since Transportation Alternatives chose to advocate for NO ENFORCEMENTon the part of the NYPD-and they were enabled by mayors Bloomberg, De Blasio and so far Mayor Adams -the NYPD has been undermined. The backbone of a responsible bike culture has been broken and the public has been slammed with an environment of jeopardy. Both an ongoing physical hazard and mental health burden.
Mr. Feldman was a long time friend of Mr. Lee. They attended school together in Toronto. Stayed in close
contact. Mr. Feldman and his family lived in Germany. IOn addition to expressing deep sadness for the loss
of his good friend-who loved New York and never had any incident during his life in the city, Mr. Feldman
describes the differences between the 2 wheel culture in Germany and the "Wild West" environment of lawless
jeopardy in The Apple irresponsibly took the life of Mr. Lee. The question remains-Why isn't there and why wasn't there ever an effort to establish a responsible bike culture? The lawless approach conflated going green
with an every person for themself no holds barred attitude. The NYPD has been undermined. The backbone of
a responsible 2 wheeled culture is-as Mr. Feldman cites in his contrast with Germany-enforcement. Why was
enforcement been kept on a short leash by Mayor's Bloomberg and De Blasio? It remains to be seen if
former NYPD Captain and current Mayor Adams can address the public safety crisis and restore the respect
for law and order on the streets and sidewalks.*******************************************
https://thevillagesun.com/friend-mourns-chelsea-man-killed-by-hit-and-run-cyclist-calls-nyc-streets-a-wild-west
Pedestrian fatally struck by hit and run cyclist on 22nd St. Chelsea New York.
Village Sun Aug 23,2022
BY THE VILLAGE SUN | A Chelsea resident succumbed to his injuries last week after lingering a few days after a bicyclist crashed into him at a busy intersection, police said.
Police said Gavin Lee, 44, of 111 W. 16th St., just east of Sixth Avenue, was struck while walking just blocks away from his home on Thurs., Aug. 11, around 6:30 p.m., at Eighth Avenue and W. 22nd Street.
According to the preliminary police investigation, the cyclist was traveling northbound on Eighth Avenue when he slammed into Lee, who was crossing from west to east in the W. 22nd Street crosswalk. The pedestrian and cyclist were both thrown to the ground by the collision.
The cyclist got back on his bicycle and fled the location northbound on Eighth Avenue, police said.
E.M.S. transported the victim to Bellevue Hospital, where he was pronounced dead five days later on Tues., Aug. 16.
The suspect is described as a male, with a medium complexion, around 25 years old, with brown, wavy hair, a medium build and an unknown tattoo on his right forearm. He was last seen wearing a yellow shirt, tan shorts and wearing a large black bag on his back.
The fatality occurred two blocks south of the Penn South co-op, a naturally occuring retirement community, or NORC, where residents have expressed concern about pedestrian safety and the bike lanes flanking both the complex’s western and eastern sides.
Police ask that anyone with information call the N.Y.P.D.’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted on the Crime Stoppers Web site at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on Twitter at @NYPDTips. Tips can result in cash rewards. All tips are strictly confidential.
https://thevillagesun.com/signs-of-a-backlash-against-bikes-gone-wild-on-sidewalks
The Village Sun-details self preservation action taken by residents of Chelsea to address
the rampant rogue riding on sidewalks in particular.
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