Persecuting E-Bikes in New York City

amigafan2003 said:

Ykick said:

Now he rarely uses the park for his daily commute - instead he rides the much more dangerous streets to avoid being targeted for revenue. It's really a shame he's been forced to take his chances on the streets as opposed to being targeted by the city for cash.

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How much cash would they have got if he'd actually stopped at the lights?

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john7700 said:

amigafan2003 said:

Ykick said:

Now he rarely uses the park for his daily commute - instead he rides the much more dangerous streets to avoid being targeted for revenue. It's really a shame he's been forced to take his chances on the streets as opposed to being targeted by the city for cash.

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How much cash would they have got if he'd actually stopped at the lights?

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THAN YOU I didn't want to be "that" guy

In my experience with city riders (Boston) they rarely obey traffic laws (yes, some do). How can you call
it harassment when you admit you were breaking the law. If E-bikes continue to be scofflaws, they will
continue to be legislated against.

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john7700 said:

amigafan2003 said:

Ykick said:

Now he rarely uses the park for his daily commute - instead he rides the much more dangerous streets to avoid being targeted for revenue. It's really a shame he's been forced to take his chances on the streets as opposed to being targeted by the city for cash.

Click to expand...

How much cash would they have got if he'd actually stopped at the lights?

Click to expand...

THAN YOU I didn't want to be "that" guy

In my experience with city riders (Boston) they rarely obey traffic laws (yes, some do). How can you call
it harassment when you admit you were breaking the law. If E-bikes continue to be scofflaws, they will
continue to be legislated against.

Click to expand...

wineboyrider said:

Thanks for serving the USA Lightcycle. I hope you recover from your injuries.

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LI-ghtcycle said:

wineboyrider said:

T

Maybe Lady Gaga could ride around NYC and then they would make a 180 and say how wonderful they are! :lol: :lol:

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West Side Spirit: Feds Say You Can't Restrict It-The Electric Bike Debate

In Section: NY comPRESSed Posted By: West Side SpiritMonday, December 19,2011

The trouble with electric bikes, both lovers and haters will agree, is that no one can say exactly what rules apply to them. Electric bikes are either custom-made or adapted with an electric motor that gives the rider an extra kick. For some, they’re a godsend of alternative transit, making multi-borough commutes possible. For others, however, they are dangerous and illegal machines.

“We wanted them to be treated like a moped—you get a license plate, you pay a fee and everybody knows who they’re registered to,” said Andrew Albert, co-chairperson of the Transportation Committee. As for the insurance issues raised, he said that the committee will investigate the issue. What he didn’t realize, however, is that electric bikes are actually banned by the city and state of New York.Last week, Community Board 7 sent a resolution on electric bikes back to the Transportation Committee after board members could not agree on how a potential ruling by the city and state classifying electric bikes as motor vehicles could affect the ability of bike owners to attain liability insurance.

“The City’s Administrative Code prohibits electric bikes,” Scott Gastel, Department of Transportation spokesperson, wrote in an email.

The state DMV, will not register electric bikes, which it classifies as “motor assisted bicycles,” and outlaws them.

How then, are people in riding around on these bikes unhindered?

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Pedestrian-Cyclist Accidents in New York State: 2007-2010

Summary and Conclusions
A second finding emerging from this study is that the profile of pedestrians
injured in cycling accidents is a distinctive one. Compared to the population
for New York State as a whole, victims tend to be much younger and to be
members of minority racial/ethnic groups. In particular, Hispanics are
overrepresented among pedestrians involved in cycling accidents.

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The electric pressure, or potential difference, between the terminals of any arc lamp is not high, but it is between the main wires near the dynamo as well as between these wires and the ground. How far does this lead to the risk of sparks or unpleasant shocks? That is a point that can be looked at in a variety of ways. First, there is the American view of the matter, which consists in pointing out to people exactly what the danger is, if there be any, and training them to look out for themselves: let ordinary railway trains, say the Americans, run through the streets, and let horses learn to respect the warning bell. Next, there is the semi-paternal English system, which cripples all attempts at street mechanical locomotion, because we are conservative in our use of horses, and horses are conservative in their way of looking at horseless tramcars. Lastly, there is the foreign paternal system, which, carried to its limit, would prohibit the eating of dinners because some people have at some time choked themselves, and would render going to bed a penal offence because it is in bed that most people have died.

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Lock said:

I thought Prof. Ayrton was pretty amusing in his lecture from 1888 about the risks of electricity:
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8099&start=465

The electric pressure, or potential difference, between the terminals of any arc lamp is not high, but it is between the main wires near the dynamo as well as between these wires and the ground. How far does this lead to the risk of sparks or unpleasant shocks? That is a point that can be looked at in a variety of ways. First, there is the American view of the matter, which consists in pointing out to people exactly what the danger is, if there be any, and training them to look out for themselves: let ordinary railway trains, say the Americans, run through the streets, and let horses learn to respect the warning bell. Next, there is the semi-paternal English system, which cripples all attempts at street mechanical locomotion, because we are conservative in our use of horses, and horses are conservative in their way of looking at horseless tramcars. Lastly, there is the foreign paternal system, which, carried to its limit, would prohibit the eating of dinners because some people have at some time choked themselves, and would render going to bed a penal offence because it is in bed that most people have died.

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What EVer happened to the American view?
L0cK

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veloman said:

...That's the reality out there.

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Monday, January 9, 2012 Comment here

This Week: Youth Bike Summit, Ravitch Talks Transpo Funding
by Streetsblog

Tops on this week’s livable street calendar is the second annual Youth Bike Summit, held this weekend by Recycle-A-Bicycle. Last year, teens learned everything from map-making techniques to organizing strategies. Also: Former Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch will speak on the economic perils of declining infrastructure, sounding a call he’s made repeatedly for proper transportation funding.

Tuesday: The transportation committee of Manhattan Community Board 7 discusses a proposal to turn part of 59th Street one-way, continues debating electric bicycles, and hears a presentation from Streetsblog publisher Mark Gorton on the place of the automobile in New York City. 7:00 p.m.

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February 28, 2012 5:04 PM

Jessica Lappin: Put Brakes On Illegal Motorbikes

BY Ken Lovett

Manhattan City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin wants to put the brakes on illegal motorized bikes.

Our Reuven Blau reports:

“Delivery bikes are dangerous and illegal, yet there are a growing number on city streets,” she said Tuesday during a press conference on the steps of City Hall.

The lawmaker plans to introduce legislation to double the fines from $500 to $1,000 per ticket.

“We need to crack down and get better enforcement,” she told reporters.

The NYPD issued 48,556 bike tickets last year, according to Lappin. But it is unclear how many were for souped up electrical bikes which can race over 30 miles per hour.

Lappin, who represents the Upper East Side, said she was especially concerned for her elderly constituents who constantly complain about the problem.

The Bloomberg administration declined to comment on the pending legislation since the measure has not yet been formally introduced.

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Ykick said:

That's the "safety" point we should be making. How ebikes actually contribute to courtesy and safer operation than peddlers who blow through crosswalks and intersections.

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...users also noted that e-bikes encourage users to obey the Highway Safety Code more strictly (for example, they are more likely to stop at mandatory stops) because the bikes’ motor power makes standing starts easier.

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