More e-bike inconsistencies in NYC

[Avni]

This story in the NY Daily News -
TLDR: NYC “allows” Class 1 e-bikes, not class 2 or 3. Rights advocates claim this is targetted primarly at food delivery drivers who are largely immigrant and persons of color. Per the article, NYPD is confiscating around 100 bikes / month, and giving fines of about $1000.
Now NYC has agreed to allow e-bikes with throttles (not strictly Class 2...) but only for large companies like UPS and Amazon and DHL...

 

[Ebiker01]

That’s unbelievably unfair to the smaller companies.
There’s definitely a Potential lawsuit here.

 

[Martinet]

From the article I heard yesterday, NYC seems to be encouraging small electric delivery vehicles (ebikes) below 60th St in Midtown Manhattan. The plan includes designation 1000 parking spots for such vehicles. This may be indication an attitude change in NYC as they try to deal with congestion and pollution. Hopefully.

 

[Mulezen]

The big companies are part of a data gathering project in a congested part of Manhattan. Whether a company like UPS finds a cargo bike load efficient is another thing

 

[elliot friedman]

Just last week, in front of my building on 2nd and 22nd street, the police were seizing any ebike riding along the 2nd ave bike lane. When I was told this, I immediately went down to check it out. There were at least a half a dozen officers partaking in this operation. When I asked what traffic infraction was violated and why they were pulling the bikes off the path and loading them into a PD truck, they just stated, "ebikes are illegal in NYC." I then tried to explain to them the three ebike classes. They had no clue as to the differences. It didn't matter to them, they were totally uninformed. I went up stairs to print out a few of the mayor's latest remarks and local articles regarding the leniency towards class I ebikes in the city. Unfortunately, by the time I returned, the stop and seizure operation had left.
Perhaps, one of these years, there will be an ironclad set of rules in NYS and the city pertaining to ebikes and our favorite pastime. Other states have 'em. Probably comes down to money somewhere.

 

[harryS]

Governor still has not signed the state law defining ebikes as part of the bicycle world, has he?

 

[Saratoga Dave]

He has not, and apparently isn’t going to, unfortunately.

 

[Avni]

Just last week, in front of my building on 2nd and 22nd street, the police were seizing any ebike riding along the 2nd ave bike lane. When I was told this, I immediately went down to check it out. There were at least a half a dozen officers partaking in this operation. When I asked what traffic infraction was violated and why they were pulling the bikes off the path and loading them into a PD truck, they just stated, "ebikes are illegal in NYC." I then tried to explain to them the three ebike classes. They had no clue as to the differences. It didn't matter to them, they were totally uninformed. I went up stairs to print out a few of the mayor's latest remarks and local articles regarding the leniency towards class I ebikes in the city. Unfortunately, by the time I returned, the stop and seizure operation had left.
Perhaps, one of these years, there will be an ironclad set of rules in NYS and the city pertaining to ebikes and our favorite pastime. Other states have 'em. Probably comes down to money somewhere.

Wow, that is really, really disturbing.