Although we have the trusty citibikes spread out all over the city, sometimes we want to get from A to B a bit faster…
Coming up on Wednesday, city officials will have a vote on whether electric bikes and scooters will finally be legalized in NYC. This version of the bill by members of the state Senate and Assembly, proposes to legalize only three e-bikes: throttle-powered and pedal-assist bikes with top speeds of 25 MPH, only within the 5 boroughs and e-scooters with top speeds of 20 MPH (legalized across the state gradually). The final result on its passing is due to take place tomorrow, the final day of this year’s legislative session.
This would mean that the city could potentially become over saturated with birds and limes in every corner, following in the same footsteps as what’s been happening in major cities like San Francisco, London, Paris and more. Obviously the passing of the bill brings benefits, specifically to those in the delivery business, but it also comes with several downsides such as over crowding in an already hectic city. A few rules to avoid any complications include an age cap of 16 and over to use e-bikes/scooters as well as a ban on their use on sidewalks/the Hudson River greenway. Either way, if the bill passes then the government would have to impose several other regulations to make sure the added electric transportation devices are safe for residents on the streets and don’t interfere with the daily grind.
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