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NYC Lawmakers Propose E-Bike Regulations After Fatal Crashes

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New York City lawmakers on Wednesday are set to discuss more than 20 proposals that would regulate electric bikes and scooters, after a series of fatal collisions. The wide-ranging package — one of the largest assortment of bills ever proposed on a single topic, with measures from more than 10 council members — aims to crack down on the proliferation of devices that can far exceed the speed limit, while maintaining the rights of cyclists who are increasingly the victims of serious collisions. The proposals include a plan to ban the sale of a subset of e-bikes called “class 3,” which can travel much faster than the 15 mile-per-hour speed limit for such devices, with the goal of eventually making them illegal to ride.

Other bills would force food-delivery companies to obtain licenses, carry liability insurance and more closely monitor its workers; require the users of ride-share services like Citi Bike to confirm they’ve reviewed the rules of the road; mandate new speed-reducing features in a number of bike lanes; and create a free- or low-cost trade-in program for cyclists who own dangerously fast bikes and scooters. But various street safety advocates say the proposals have fallen short of their expectations: Some feel the package does not go far enough to enforce traffic laws, while others fear that some of the rules will discourage cycling and expose delivery workers, a largely immigrant work force, to more interactions with the police.