Stay in your Lane! Balancing Interests in Prospective E-Bike Legislation
As E-bikes have become more and more popular, particularly among delivery workers, measures are being explored to limit and oversee micro mobility in New York. Photo by Elvert Barnes.
New Yorkers have grown accustomed to the sight of Citi Bikes and e-bikes weaving through traffic, filling up bike lanes, and even spilling over onto sidewalks. The convenience and accessibility that these bikes offer have reshaped urban transport, ushering in a new era of mobility. Growing up in the city, I’ve witnessed both the benefits and challenges that have come with this micro-mobility boom. But as Citi Bikes and e-bikes become an increasingly essential part of the city’s transit ecosystem, their management must reflect their role as a quasi-public resource–one that bridges transit gaps, expands mobility for underserved communities, and provides an affordable option for all riders. As a teenager, I biked daily, making trips up and down the river and through Central Park. Having witnessed countless bike-related incidents and even been in two minor accidents myself, I've experienced the hazards that arise when bikes mix with New York’s chaotic landscape. The expansion of Citi Bike, coupled with the recent explosion of e-bike use among delivery workers, has put a spotlight on New York’s broken transportation landscape. Because Citi Bikes operates as a quasi-public resource—one that provides a low-cost, flexible transit option for those underserved by the subway or bus system—their regulation must center the needs of all New Yorkers, not just those who can afford alternative forms of transportation. From e-bike safety concerns to an uneven distribution of unmonitored Citi Bike stations in low-income neighborhoods, there is a pressing need for an approach to e-bike regulation and infrastructure that prioritizes not just efficiency, but accessibility, safety, and equity. Rather than over-regulating e-bikes with strict licensing requirements, the city should implement programs that address infrastructure gaps, corporate accountability, and support for essential workers. Such an approach can help build a safer, more inclusive transit system for all New Yorkers.
When Citi Bike launched in 2013, the program aimed to provide an accessible and sustainable mode of transportation for New Yorkers. Rapidly installing thousands of bikes and dozens of stations in popular neighborhoods, Citi Bike’s mission was to weave bike-sharing into the fabric of daily city life, making it possible for New Yorkers to move across Manhattan and other key areas quickly and affordably. This initial rollout focused heavily on clustering stations in densely populated, relatively affluent areas, like Manhattan’s business districts and transit hubs. This way, the bikes complement existing public transit options and meet commuter demand. However, towards the end of the 2010s, concerns about inequality in Citi Bike access began to skyrocket.
In 2019, Citi Bike and the New York State government vowed to majorly expand access to the bike-sharing program. Responding to critiques concerning inequitable distribution, in 2019, Citi Bike and Mayor Bill Deblasio initiated expansion plans to serve a broader demographic, vowing to “double the surface area by 35 square miles and triple the number of bikes to 40,000.” The program had a focus on including neighborhoods in the Bronx, Queens, and deeper areas of Brooklyn. While these attempts were largely successful, bike availability in underserved areas, predominantly in the Bronx and throughout Brooklyn, continues to be unreliable today, since a larger proportion of bikes tend to be either out of service due to maintenance issues, low battery levels on e-bikes, or missing from docks entirely compared to wealthier areas. This pattern highlights an infrastructure gap that leaves essential workers and low-income residents without dependable transportation. While bike-sharing certainly helps alleviate some public transportation gaps, Citi Bike’s structure divides service quality and accessibility along socioeconomic lines, perpetuating inequality for low-income neighborhoods.
Adding to the complexity of this issue, e-bikes surged in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, as delivery workers and essential employees largely relied on fast micro-mobility options when public transport was limited. Delivery workers, in particular, turned to e-bikes to meet the sharp rise in demand for food and goods deliveries, navigating city streets quickly and often dangerously. Essential workers, including healthcare and retail employees, also depended on Citi Bikes for safe, flexible transportation. However, this increase in demand, specifically for e-bikes, has outpaced the city’s ability to ensure safe riding conditions. Adding further to the chaos, Citi Bike introduced its pedal-powered silver e-bikes in 2022, which has enabled riders to ride at increased speeds, posing a larger threat to pedestrians. Currently, e-bikes make up about 20 percent of the Citi Bike fleet but account for nearly half of its rides.
Though e-bikes have positively impacted New York City by enhancing overall mobility, reducing environmental pollution, and supporting essential services, the dangers have grown out of control. Residents across the city are increasingly concerned about the safety of e-bikes, as they continue to impede their sense of safety on a daily basis. There are over 65,000 app-based restaurant delivery workers in the city, and about 80 percent of them use e-bikes and motorbikes. Evan Lieberman, Assistant Legislative Director in the office of New York State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, confirmed that e-bikes strike New Yorkers as an omnipresent danger. He highlighted that constituents’ most common complaints surrounding bikes are e-bikes on sidewalks, e-bikes running red lights, and mopeds in bike lanes. There is a general sense that it is “scary to walk around and cross the street because of the presence of bikes,” he said. This lack of infrastructure, protections for low-income communities, and safety measures has led to a mounting public safety issue that demands action.
In response to these concerns, New York legislators, including Governor Kathy Hochul and Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, introduced a plethora of bills and initiatives over the summer aimed at improving public safety and the livelihood of New Yorkers. However, these bills did not come without backlash. S7703B–a recently signed bill that has gone into effect beginning January 2025–requires mopeds, which are commonly used by delivery workers, to be licensed at the point of sale. Not surprisingly, this legislation has sparked criticism, especially from delivery workers who argue that the costs of licensing mopeds will unfairly target those who can least afford it. Furthermore, Intro 606, another proposed piece of legislation, would implement a standardized licensing process for all e-bikes, including all Citi Bikes. As Alia Soomro, Deputy Director of New York City Policy for the New York League of Conservation Voters, said, Intro 606 “not only misidentifies the problem but will do nothing to make our streets safer,” all while “hampering the ability of tens of thousands of New Yorkers to earn a living—a disproportionate number of them coming from low-income communities—while making the lives of countless others more difficult.” Many workers worry that licensing and insurance requirements will place an undue burden on them, especially if these costs are not offset by their employers.
Critics of increased regulation argue that adding licensing and registration requirements may lead to racial profiling and other unintended social consequences. Delivery workers already report that cheaper e-bike models, often used by low-income individuals, are disproportionately seized during police enforcement efforts. The example of licensing alone shows how improving safety in New York requires more than a few legislative changes. Comprehensive regulations and protections are essential to shield all citizens from significant repercussions.
In order to achieve equity, delivery companies must be held to higher standards in protecting a safe environment for workers. Consumer advocacy groups, labor organizers, and local officials have increasingly pressured companies like DoorDash and Uber Eats to take responsibility for worker safety, recognizing that their business models incentivize dangerous conditions. For instance, Senator Hoylman’s office has been floating a bill requiring delivery companies to provide liability insurance and safety training for their workers, which would help alleviate safety risks and shift some accountability onto the corporations that profit from e-bike labor. Another proposal, the BOT Act, aims to regulate delivery companies’ use of AI to track workers’ speed and penalize delays. This AI-driven monitoring has largely pressured delivery workers to adopt unsafe driving practices, leading to increased accidents and unsafe road conditions.
At the same time, addressing the challenges faced by delivery workers also requires improvements in the physical infrastructure they rely on. Outdated and decaying bike lanes, as well as traffic and bike lane safety infrastructure, fail to accommodate the volume of bikes now crowding the city streets, creating further hazards for cyclists and pedestrians. Improving and expanding bike lanes, especially in underserved neighborhoods, is essential to building a safe, accessible network for all users. Advocacy groups like the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance have pushed for greater regulation to address these safety risks, calling attention to the need for a more comprehensive infrastructure that can accommodate the rise in e-bike traffic. By creating wider, more reliable bike lanes, we can ease congestion, leaving riders feeling less cramped and pedestrians feeling safer. However, similar to the distribution of e-bikes themselves, much of this proposed infrastructure is centered around wealthier central areas of Manhattan, stemming from commercial interest in high-traffic business districts and the city's tendency to invest in areas with existing demand rather than proactively addressing transit needs in underserved neighborhoods.
Ultimately, New York’s e-bike and Citi Bike legislation must prioritize the needs of underserved communities and the essential workers who rely on these transportation modes every day. Focusing on equitable station placement, corporate accountability, and infrastructure improvements offers a path toward a more connected, just, and sustainable transit system. However, it is important for us all to acknowledge the part we play in the chaos. Everywhere in New York, we have an obsession with convenience and speed. This leads us to question: how do we grapple with expecting a food delivery to come quickly while simultaneously feeling anger at witnessing an e-bike speed through a red light? This issue of e-bike safety is so difficult to solve not only because of the complexity of necessary legislation but also because of the nature of New Yorkers. We are largely the source of the mass anxiety causing delivery workers to speed throughout New York and delivery companies to heavily police their employees. So, while a thoughtful, inclusive approach that prioritizes infrastructure and support over punitive measures will better serve the city’s diverse population, the change starts with us—as the consumers.
Peter Bisbee (CC ’28) is a staff writer from New York City, NY.