NYC officials urged to tighten e-bike rules as fatalities rise

E-bike crashes have resulted in 133 deaths and more than 17,000 injuries in New York City since 2019, prompting a debate over how to curb the danger. Progressive officials are pressing Attorney General Tish James to mandate clearer consumer guidance, but opponents say the solution lies in more robust police action under Mayor Eric Adams and stricter statutes advocated by former Councilman Robert Holden. Speaker Julie Menin is working to tighten municipal regulations, yet the state legislature is urged to require e-bike registration and rider licensing.

Critics also target Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s March directive that curbed NYPD ability to issue summonses for low-level traffic offenses. Advocacy group Transportation Alternatives has blocked many proposed controls, while neighboring New Jersey has already instituted registration and age-based licensing requirements. Lawmakers are urged to revive “Priscilla’s Law,” which would impose licensing, registration and visible plates on e-bikes and e-scooters.