New York State ebike legislation

[Dewey]

The draft wording will legalize Class 1 & 2 ebikes in most of New York State and legalize a 25mph speed limited Class 3 with throttle ebike in New York City (to cover the food delivery workers), but ebikes will remain banned from the Hudson River Greenway or the Niagra River Greenway, no riding on sidewalks, and controversially the wording bans parents from carrying children on ebikes "no person less than sixteen years of age shall...ride as a passenger upon a bicycle with electric assist" but Sen Ramos later tweeted the legislature was OK with child carrying "attachments"and would amend the wording later to reflect this (would need careful wording to permit cargo ebikes). Anyway props to Senator Ramos and @Chris Nolte for fighting the good fight in Albany.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/s5294/amendment/a

https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/06...lity-thanks-to-greenway-manhattan-exemptions/

https://nypost.com/2019/06/17/new-y...l-e-bikes-and-scooters/?utm_source=reddit.com

 

[Dewey]

Commuters riding Class 1 ebikes were previously authorized to ride the Hudson River Greenway, described in the NYC Streetsblog post as "the world’s most popular bike lane", but are now facing a legal ban that will mostly be ignored. A commenter on the NYC Streetsblog post on the legislation explained the issue for ebike commuters riding in from points North into the City "The daily commute from North Riverdale (to Times Square) is over 600 feet of raw elevation climbs each way, which makes it a very long bike ride without assist. Or to give you real numbers - It take about 70-80 minutes by plain biking alone (slowdowns due to climbs) or 45-50 minutes with assist. Not to mention only the most expert biker can do it 5 days a week. As its 13 miles each way or 130+ miles of biking a week."

 

[elliot friedman]

Class three e-bikes are assisted up to 28MPH not 25MPH.


I also feel it should be regulated by a "Speed Limitation" not a Class limitation as it is with every other motorized vehicle. On my daily ride on a local bike path, I could be riding at a 20-25mph clip and human powered bicycles are surpassing me at speeds closer to 30mph.

 

[harryS]

If you read the bill, the proposed NY law diverges from the 28 mph no-throttle speed pedelec most of us associate with Class III.

Their Class III applies only for cities with population over 1M, and sets a 25 mph (not a typo - it's 25) speed limit for a bike powered by an electric motor. It's really a special case of their Class II allowed to go 25 mph in NYC.

That still leaves the faster pedal only 28 mph bikes in violation, if they get the bill passed. Bet they won't.

A crazy town, if you ride an ebike and have a plastic bag hanging from the handlebars.
https://www.amny.com/transit/nypd-cracks-down-on-illegal-e-bikes-in-24-hour-blitz-1.13308779

 

[Dewey]

This bill was passed today by the NY Senate

 

[Saratoga Dave]

After almost 9000 miles in the past three years, I’m legal. Yippee!

Of course, not one person ever challenged me in that whole time; in fact, if people spot it for an ebike, they generally have sincere questions. Still, it’s nice from a potential liability perspective if nothing else.

 

[Al P]

Same here. Over 5000 miles and have never been bothered. Not enough incidents for the police to waste their time on ebike enforcement.

 

[Dewey]

Gov Cuomo threatens to veto ebike legislation. https://nypost.com/2019/06/21/cuomo...alize-e-bikes-scooters/?utm_source=reddit.com
Quote from the Post article: “I have heard a number of concerns from safety advocates who don’t believe we should allow scooters, e-bikes on sidewalks with pedestrians,” Cuomo told reporters Friday in Albany“...

The legislation wording does not permit scooters or ebikes to ride on sidewalks...

Come on Lucy let Charlie get the ball sometimes

 

[Al P]

Read the bill, Governor. There are many reasons why I don't like that man. Now, if he vetoes this bill I can add it to the list.

 

[harryS]

There's a very strong anti-ebike sentiment out of NYC that has prevented bills like this from even getting out for a vote. That's why I said betcha it won't pass, not until they strike the Class III wording.

 

[Avni]

Are there any updates on this? According to the legislature website, and some articles from the summer, Gov. Cuomo still hasn't signed it.
Does that leave all e-bikes in the State and City illegal?
Seems crazy when you can't walk one block in NYC without seeing an e-bike (usually under a delivery person) - but perhaps the city is generating tons of revenue on those fines...

Anyone here from NYC and can comment on their experience riding ebikes? Any issues with police?

I'm planning on riding a Class-2. The hrottle has a cutoff, so hopefully I can convince the cops it's modified to function in pedal-assist only mode...

 

[Citycrosser]

I think you have it right, it's simply waiting on the governor's signature. I know three people who ride ebikes in the city and haven't had issues but they don't have throttles (only PAS). You might want to remove your throttle to be safe?

I ride a Class 3 in Westchester and Putnam counties and haven't had any issues with police and have passed a few on the rail trail who were travelling the other way or stopped.

Be sure to install a bell, I do have a friend who was fined by NYPD for not having a bell.

 

[harryS]

Almost Halloween, and the anti-ebike Governor still hasn't signed it?

If he doesn't sign by the end of the year, when the legislature adjourns at year's end, is it effectively vetoed? I didn't have to learn the NY constitution in school, so you New Yoirkers can fill in these gaps in knowledge,.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I believe it dies with the session at the end of the year. I don't get why Cuomo won't sign the thing... I am no fan, but he has and does advocate for extending the bike path infrastructure to go all the way across the state, and several significant new sections have been added this year, including a new paved section along the Erie Canal route from Rotterdam Junction to Amsterdam that was previously ridden along the very busy shoulder of 5S - alongside lots of cement trucks. The new piece is very nice.

Still, he won't sign the ebike law. I see ebikes now all over the place damn near daily on virtually all the paths and popular bike routes in the Capital area, something that was not true even just a year ago. They're making big inroads too up in the Adirondack High Peaks area, a big bike and general fitness culture region. Almost any day you can see someone on an ebike along that great stretch between Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain, along with all the usual road bike people. Some gorgeous high end bikes out and about up that way!

 

[Avni]

It's all very frustrating.
Clearly there are plenty of e-bike riders in NYC and NYS safely riding their e-bikes, but never knowing if this particular police officer will pull them over and fine them and/or confiscate their bike...
I will call the governors office FWIW and contribute my voice.
But question - IF the gov does finally sign the law, does it automatically overrule the NYC regulation of class 1 e-bikes only?
(and how does NYC even have a class-1 law, if it's illegal on the state level?)

 

[Balemonkey]

A New York state trooper told me this. The state DMV says E bikes are illegal. The courts will not enforce this because if they pull E bikes over they will have to charge everyone using hover rounds, E scooters and little kids using barbie cars on the side walk. The troopers don't want to be bothered nor do the courts. I get more questions from police officers then anyone else. Just my observation.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I was a cop in NY - not a trooper - for 27 years, and I assure you I never game a damn what kind of bike anyone was riding, nor would I have bothered anyone over it without a direct order. A few other things to do most of the time.

 

[Avni]

I hear that - and two officers in The Bronx told me essentially the same thing - "don't be an asshole, and you'll be fine".
But then I come across stuff like this:

The New York Police Department issued 2,603 summonses for moving violations involving electric bikes between Jan. 1 and Aug. 25 of this year. That represents an increase of nearly 67% from 1,560 such violations issued over the same period in 2018, an NYPD spokeswoman said.
The...

From an article in the WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-crack-down-on-electric-bikes-in-new-york-city-11567724244

And I get worried...

 

[Ebiker01]

I hear that - and two officers in The Bronx told me essentially the same thing - "don't be an asshole, and you'll be fine".
But then I come across stuff like this:

The New York Police Department issued 2,603 summonses for moving violations involving electric bikes between Jan. 1 and Aug. 25 of this year. That represents an increase of nearly 67% from 1,560 such violations issued over the same period in 2018, an NYPD spokeswoman said.
The...

From an article in the WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/police-crack-down-on-electric-bikes-in-new-york-city-11567724244

And I get worried...

Most were to the people using them for delivery b/c they use the throttle ONLY and they go quite fast.

So people want their food on time and they also complain about delivery ebikers...

Maybe they want drones flying over that will come crashing down unexpectedly ?? May need to wear a moto helmet walking down the street soon...

 

[Dewey]

The NY Post reveals the reason Gov Cuomo won't sign the ebike bill, contrary to his stated safety concerns, is a personal political spat with the bill's sponsor State Senator Ramos, reportedly Cuomo didn't like what Ramos wrote about him in the NY Times. Quote: "The bill will die if Cuomo doesn’t put his name to it by the end of the year". Source: https://nypost.com/2019/12/08/e-bike-e-scooter-bill-stuck-in-albany-cuomos-spat-with-sponsor/.