Sad Day for ebikes in New york state

[Lebowski]

How is the law on a normal bike being pushed my a small motorised trailer ? Maybe that's the way to go for New Yorkers ?

 

[dogman dan]

Likely wouldn't matter legally if the motor was not on the bike itself.

I agree, I don't think this is particularly left or right motivated. It's just the business lobby + fraidy cats.

I think you give those messengers a motor, and they will ride a lot faster, and just as crazy. They'll read up here and build a 40 mph bike in a week. Surprised it's not happening more already.

 

[Ykick]

I suspect much of this is about fear tactics and projecting an image of "doing something" when the reality is that cops have much better things to worry about. I talk to street cops all the time and they never notice I'm electric but they always appreciate the care I exhibit about riding. I can assure you the cops standing in traffic all day know what's "dangerous to others" and an eBike is NOT dangerous to others.

'been illegal (state law) since I got here in 2005 - the delivery guys and scooter looking rides may be easier targets but I'll probably be able to stay off the radar. If need be, I'll build a stealth roadie and let 'em try to figure that one out.

For the food delivery establishments to circumvent new fines with their bikes parked in front, I can envision merely pulling the batteries and taking them inside. Without a battery, is it an electric bicycle? LOL...

Fortunately, unlike the "Toronto path ban" at least the comments section in most stories appear to be encouraging. Myself and other "NY Outlaw eRiders" appreciate the good, positive replies being made. In the meantime, I'll just go back to being "one less car on the road" while minimizing reliance on foreign Oil.

If they wanna pop me, let 'em pop me - impound my bike, $100 fine, WHATEVER.... Bring it on!!!

 

[bowlofsalad]

I'd rather nobody was being popped in the first place for riding an ebike. Being hassled by the man is some of the first steps towards a bad path. But it sounds like new york is well on it's way down that path.

 

[MattyCiii]

I see a huge market in NYC soon for "compressed air assisted bikes"

 

[Arlo1]

I see a huge market in NYC for ebikes with 100mph + top speeds and oil slicks and smoke screen devices atached. If I lived there I would be taking this very personal!

 

[Hillhater]

I cannot understand the logic of this proposal..other than revenue protectionism as previously suggested.
However, anyone who lives or has visited NY recently will be aware that there are far more Ebikes there than anywhere outside china !. you cannot walk a block without seeing another ebike either on the street or chained to a post.
Maybe its that high level of presence that has raised this as an issue.
I hope they realise that 90% of Ebikers will simply revert to pedal power if banned ..So what is the gain ?

 

[sk8norcal]

NY state set to formally make ebikes illegal.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/04/city_council_votes_on_electric.html#incart_m-rpt-2

spotted this in the comments,
I did not know AviationMetalSmith is the inventor of the Electric Bike...

AviationMetalSmith
Dear Council Speaker Quinn:
Hello. I Invented the Electric Bike. I live on Long Island. There are many knock-offs being made in China, but it was invented here. A ban on Electric Bikes would make it difficult for me to ever see a return on my investment.
I have had my Bicycles Insured as Experimental Vehicles since 1986, through Allstate. The Federal Law which was passed in 1999 requires that Electric Bicycles be insured. I have to tell most potential customers that I will NOT sell to them , on account they have no insurance. I suspect, that other dealers, who import their bikes from China, are indeed selling E-Bikes to customers who have No Insurance. (They lost their Insurance when they got the D.W.I).
AS for the claim that the Police can Not determine a Vehicles Speed? I would remind you that the Police have a device known as a Radar Gun, which can indeed determine a Vehicles Speed. Use the Radar Gun on the suspected Speeding E-Bikes, simple as that.
Need I remind you that there are plenty of speeding Cars? Cars are going in excess of 48 in a 30 zone, and they weigh two tons. That's the real danger. Not an Electrically assisted Bicycle , with a half horsepower motor, that might be able to go 18, on a good day, downhill, with the wind at your back.

And as previously stated , a regular road Bicycle can go faster than an E-Bike. E-Bikes are relied upon by the Handicapped, and a Two, Three, or Four wheeled Scooter are basically the same, electronically, under the glossy plastic.

Please Stop interfering with my Livelihood. I am a Gulf War Veteran, and an Aircraft Structural Engineer, and there are very few jobs I can do that are non-military. Electric Bikes are my bread and butter. My bikes have lights, and a protective fiberglass shield on the handlebars. You can clock the speed of a bicycle with a radar gun, and you can check with the operator if he/she has insurance. But an outright ban is going to cost me my Livelihood, please consider.
Thank You.

 

[sk8norcal]

Meanwhile you have many cities in China where the ebike is the main form of transport.. population density is much higher.. the legal speed is about 5mph slower, and you have cars and bicycles mixing in a very organic non-organized way.. yet somehow this isn't a problem over there, but it is here?

Seems like major cities in China are also banning ebikes.

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=20160&start=25#p723176
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34872

 

[sk8norcal]

never been to NY,
would like hear from people who actually live there....

[youtube]ibXzObmIoMA[/youtube]

[youtube]gV1DNGOR4K0[/youtube]

 

[SniperGaulois]

Are there protests and petitions being organised about this already? you want someone VERY good at organising demo's and petitions to help you publicise and get 10 000ds people on the streets.

 

[Hillhater]

..Ebikes were deemed illegal in the state of New York in 2004 !

Seems like we have missed the boat on preventing this one !
from looking at those vids, it seems as if they are focusing on the "Escooters" more than the Ebikes ( with pedals), but i guess they will all be swept up into one class at the end of the day.

PS through all these vids, i have yet to hear one with informed , intelligent, comment .

..never been to NY,
would like hear from people who actually live there.

I dont live there, but visit from time to time which probably makes me notice the changes more..
EG ..Times square is a MESS ! ..full of litter and sidewalk scam artists. Even the stores are trying to rip you off !
but to the point, last month it really struck me how many Ebikes there are on the streets in NY.
as i said before, more Ebikes than i have ever seen before in one place...and i keep an eye out when i travel.

Also worth noting.. i would guess 50% of the cabs are now hybrids... Prius, Rangers, Camry's, Nissan, etc .
The traditional ford Crown Vic's are way outnumbered now !

 

[neptronix]

Geez, 2004? ebikes were barely on the radar back then.
I didn't hear about them until 2009. I wonder how many people were riding ebikes in 2004? they probably saw one guy doing it said 'oh, i don't like that, banned!'

 

[lbz5mc12]

This law is going to bite them in the ass in a big way. The state will lose tax revenue from the sell of ebikes and from delivery services not being able to meet customer demand. On top of that delivery services will have to hire more delivery people who will most likely use bikes. So the number of ebikers will go down but the number of regular bikes will go up dramatically thereby causing more dangerous congestion on the sidewalks. Can anyone say nobrainer?

 

[100volts+]

I'm glad I don't live in the nanny state.

 

[nerve]

Why can't they ride in the streets like scooters?

 

[DAND214]

I have had my Bicycles Insured as Experimental Vehicles since 1986, through Allstate. The Federal Law which was passed in 1999 requires that Electric Bicycles be insured

Is that for fact? INSURANCE is manditory?

I sure hope he is wrong.

Dan

 

[DAND214]

What they should outlaw is WOMEN pushing a baby buggy while talking or texting!
That is the most dangerous thing on the sidewalk IMHO!

There would be less problems if walking and texting was outlawed, just like driving and texting.

Stop the world I want off!

Dan

 

[sk8norcal]

anyways, this is aimed at the "commercial cyclists",
I doubt ur average joe riding ebike will get hassled.
also doubt NYCEwheels is gonna be affected.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/commercial-cyclists.shtml

 

[Arlo1]

anyways, this is aimed at the "commercial cyclists",
I doubt ur average joe riding ebike will get hassled.
also doubt NYCEwheels is gonna be affected.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/commercial-cyclists.shtml

Its a sad world we live in when they have to take somethign cheep and simple and add clutter and cost to it so the pour person makeing little moeny running around the city gets screwed while the fat bastards in office just get some more money to line their pockets.

 

[electr0n]

If they banned ebikes where I live I would just make my bikes more stealthy. The low power and speed limits imposed are already too restrictive so I disregard them. I choose to ride in a respectful and safe manner around others and am not harming anyone by doing so. There's a lot of unjust laws out there.

 

[swbluto]

anyways, this is aimed at the "commercial cyclists",
I doubt ur average joe riding ebike will get hassled.
also doubt NYCEwheels is gonna be affected.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/commercial-cyclists.shtml

Its a sad world we live in when they have to take somethign cheep and simple and add clutter and cost to it so the pour person makeing little moeny running around the city gets screwed while the fat bastards in office just get some more money to line their pockets.

It's been the way of the world since the dawn of life. Sharks gobble the smaller fish, T-rexes ate the smaller, slower dinosaurs. Fat cats get bigger by eating smaller animals; humans are no exception.

Really, in the case of New York City, I don't think one can underestimate the influence of the Taxi Industry Lobby. Anything competing with *their* road-space is open to being targeted.

 

[TheBeastie]

So I am assuming there was no catalyst for this ban to come about other then this government council speaker Christine Quinn maybe being nearly hit by an ebiker or something while she was on her way to work?
I guess this shows the power of annoying a few people in government, for her to say ebikes riders have significant weight compared to a regular bike riders does suggest she is quite willing to lie or exorbitantly stretch facts to get her way.

I remember when I would ride to work on a regular bike and fly down this hill in the city center where pedestrians would normally walk across during a green light, I was pretty fat back then at least 100kilos and often felt unwilling to stop when I had right of way simply because of how tired I was from pedalling to gain that speed and not let it go wasted just because pedestrians weren't doing the right thing.

Being on an ebike now later I am technically lighter weight now and much more willing to stop under any circumstance due to it not being a big deal for me to start up again.

For NY probably the best compromise that could be reached is to even just adopt the EU standard in NY, coppers could work out who's at least remotely with in that standard just by seeing if its got pedal assist mode on the bike.

 

[mrdavies]

I live in New York City and commute on a ebike every day. All of our delivery guys are on electric bikes, especially the the Chinese food restaurants. I would guess the numbers are close to 80%. Yes, once in a while I see them zooming down one way streets and on sidewalks. I also see them zipping around with no lights at night; however I doubt any of them have ever hit anyone or caused any damage to anything. Think about it, they ride all day and are quite agile, they just want to get the food delivered. New Yokers' love to complain, we are just outfitting the city with "Citibike", a huge bike sharing system that will be one of the largest in the country, already people are suing the city on the placement of the bike racks, "not next to our building" The next complaint will be "where is my food, I ordered it 20 minutes ago" if these bikes are outlawed. Traffic is a huge problem here, its ridiculous, and will only get worse, I'm faster and more efficient on my bike then my motorcycle. If the ebikes are banned these guys will buy gas scooters and contribute to the pollution and the noise!
I think whats getting attention and adds fuel to the fire are all these people on these electric looking scooters, where pedals really don't exist, they are running around without helmets, with traffic and it basically looking lawless. This "gray" area brings attention to electric bikes. A few years ago we had guys running on Gopeds ( gas powered scooters) throughout the city. It was a matter of days to where they were outlawed and taken off the streets.

All I can say is this is very sad, and lacks forward thinking about our transportation future in NYC. Bloomberg our mayor has made huge progress to NYC regarding biking and Im sure would open minded to progressive decisions about the future of electric bike technology. ( i hope)

 

[50yearoldebiker]

I'm on the south shore of long island about 20 miles from NYC & have clocked 5500 miles in the last year on my E-Bike { I'm 51 years & lt's my main form of exercise & transportation }. Just recently I passed 3 policemen in one day, I keep it low key, don't fly around sidewalks or show off. Someone mentioned these things have been illegal in NY for the last decade thats how I understood it too so & I bet that this wont change a thing @ least hopefully not on the island & I hope not for my fellow NYC E-Bikers as well.