“E-Bikes” Set For NYC Cycle Lanes – Are They Even Bikes?
Plans to introduce 500-pound “e-bikes” with a top speed of 20 mph to the streets of New York City are facing opposition from cyclists who express concerns that their large size could pose a danger to other riders.
Many riders have questioned, are these even bikes? After all, they don’t seem to require any pedalling whatsoever.
The proposed cargo quadcycles are part of a significant overhaul by the city’s Department of Transportation, aimed at expanding the permissible dimensions for delivery e-bikes on the city’s extensive 1,525-mile network of bike lanes, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions.
Mayor Eric Adams, earlier this year, expressed his belief that these larger bikes would assist New Yorkers in obtaining the goods they require, while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions and relieving traffic congestion, as well as reducing the presence of hazardous trucks on city streets.
However, officials were cautioned this week that the larger and faster e-bikes, compared to the models currently being tested by UPS on city streets, could jeopardize the safety of cyclists and take over bike lanes.
During a virtual public hearing on the proposal, Joel Gelb voiced his concerns to officials, stating, “This would spell the end of bike lanes. We can no longer refer to them as bike lanes if they are open to electric-powered four-wheel trucks weighing 500 pounds. If this proposal is approved, there is no doubt it will result in fatal accidents among cyclists.”
Maureen Fitzgerald recounted her experience to DOT officials, describing it as “completely absurd” to allow wider cargo bikes onto city lanes, citing a collision with an e-bike she had experienced last year. She emphasized that they should not be considered bicycles merely because they have pedals.
“This situation is reminiscent of when the city embraced Uber and Lyft, essentially decimating our traditional yellow taxi industry,” Fitzgerald added.
The new e-bikes would be as wide as many of the city’s bike lanes, some of which can be as narrow as 4 feet, effectively obstructing them.
Christine Berthet, co-founder of the Clinton Hell’s Kitchen Chelsea Coalition for Pedestrian Safety, asserted that the supersized e-bikes would unquestionably create chaos both within and outside designated lanes throughout the city.
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