By Claire Davenport
City Councilmember Robert Holden, the lead sponsor of the controversial Priscilla’s Law, which would require all e-bikes in New York City to be registered and display license plates, appeared Tuesday night at a town hall organized by the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance (EVSA).
Holden, who represents District 30 in Queens, got a loud cheer as he stood up to address the crowd of around 100 at St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church, on West 86th Street.
“It’s unsafe out there,” he said, pacing in front of the pews. “We can’t cross the street or go out of our homes. We can’t live like this, folks. There are interest groups opposed to my bill, but they’re the minority,” he added.
EVSA, a community organization with over 1,000 members — 91 of whom have been hit by e-vehicles — believes the solution to these issues is legislation to make it easier to identify and penalize bikers who hit pedestrians and break traffic laws.
“Consequence is what shapes behavior,” said Janet Schroeder, one of EVSA’s cofounders. “To be clear, we’re not anti-bike, we simply want these vehicles to be regulated.” Currently, there are regulations at the state level that require mopeds to be registered and licensed at the point of sale, but these rules do not apply to e-bikes.
Blown-up photos of e-bike accident victims and their grisly injuries were posted around the church nave. At the front of the room, a photograph of Priscilla Loke, who was killed by an electric Citi Biker in a hit-and-run crash in 2023, was taped to the pulpit. Priscilla’s Law is named for Loke.
Victims themselves also spoke emotionally about their experiences. One woman told her story of being hit by a moped, losing consciousness, and waking up under a park bench. “I’ve stopped walking outside,” another victim said through tears. “I don’t know how to behave.” Pamela Greitzer-Manasse, a third survivor, said that she had lost her livelihood as a cellist due to her injuries, and that the person who hit her was spotted by witnesses having coffee and a croissant right after the crash. “I’m scared of being hit again,” she said.
About an hour into the town hall, UWS City Councilmember Gale Brewer appeared. Brewer has supported measures to make the lithium-ion batteries that power e-bikes safer, but opposes Priscilla’s Law. Prior to her arrival, there was some animosity towards Brewer from the crowd. “How do we get rid of Gale Brewer?” one attendee yelled.
Brewer explained that she thinks enforcement against e-bikes should come from the state and that the city isn’t equipped to roll out these policies or enforce them. At the end of her speech, she said she would be willing to support EVSA with a vote to end the city’s micromobility pilot program in city parks. EVSA steering committee member Andrew Fine called Brewer an “excuse-maker,” but gave her credit for showing up to listen, and applauded her support of the bill “to prohibit the operation of electric scooters and bicycles with electric assist in any park under the jurisdiction of the department of parks and recreation.”
Priscilla’s Law is currently cosponsored by 31 council members, three shy of the number needed to automatically compel a hearing in the City Council. Last fall, it got the necessary 34 cosponsors, but two council members rescinded their support after lobbying by Transportation Alternatives, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to take back the streets from cars.
Throughout the event, organizers and legislators spoke frequently and derogatorily about Transporation Alternatives. Councilmember Holden commented “What’s their solution? When we met with the Mayor, they said they had a ‘holistic solution.’ What the heck is that?” Someone in the crowd yelled, “They’re funded by tech companies!”
According to their 2023 public funding data, Amazon and Uber are among 13 donors who have given over $100,000 to the nonprofit, while Lyft and Citi Bike gave between $50,000 and $99,999.
A spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives previously told the Rag that they see Priscilla’s Law as part of a war on bikes more generally, and that e-bike licensing would be “ineffective and a nightmare.” They also argued that these regulations could lead to discriminatory police stops against e-bike users who are delivery workers and that it would dissuade ridership.
Schroeder contested these claims at last night’s event. “The views of our opponents, whether they know it or not, are ageist and ableist.” And, in fact, many attendees at the event and victims of e-bike collisions who spoke were older adults.
Throughout, organizers insisted that “we are the majority of New Yorkers.” There is not currently enough data on public sentiment about e-bike safety in New York City to prove or disprove the claim. A previous survey about the city’s micromobility program suggested New Yorkers are split on the issue. But the town hall made clear for a lot of Upper West Siders, especially for older adults and those with disabilities, the threat feels very real.
Marian Lewis, who is now 88, summed up attendees’ sentiments when she spoke about being hit by an e-bike in 2021 while crossing the road in Central Park. Due to the collision, she shattered her left hip and developed blood clots. She ended up surviving, but later had a stroke and now can’t bike anymore. “The highest form of love is right action,” she said. “And Priscilla’s Law is right action.”
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license plates are fine, but nowhere near enough. They would only allow you to try track someone down after an incident. How about requiring reflective clothing and front and back lights, so we can see these bikes as they barrel down the bike lanes and sidewalks at night!
How about the police actually do their jobs?
It’s real easy to spot an e-bike being driven the wrong way, or driven at night without the legally required illumination.
The drivers can be stopped, and the machines seized.
But instead the NYPD classes e-bike infractions as a “quality of life issue” and does nothing about these very dangerous drivers.
Lights are already required by law. Since 1976, in fact.
Just want to comment on the ageist “lost of gray heads”. That’s true of every meetings in the city teying to enact legislation because seniors have more time for this and are more involved in their community HOWEVER I’m 35 and was in attendance as someone who got hit by an ebike. Do not think that younger adults are not extremely bothered by what our streets look like.
Where is the NYPD? Why have they stopped enforcing traffic laws? Requiring registration etc for e-bikes is fine but kind of pointless if NYPD doesn’t enforce the new rules the same as they dont enforce the existing rules? Why doesnt NYPD post an officer on Columbus/Amsterdam Avenue bike lanes and ticket each rider who is going the wrong way in the bike lane? Enforce speeding, running red lights, riding on sidewalk etc? They e-bikes do all these things because they know NYPD wont do anything to stop them. I am all for delivery guys earning a living but why cant they earn their living AND ride the correct direction on Amsterdam/Columbus and stopping for red lights, yielding to pedestrians etc?
PS. And if you are operating an e-bike/moped with a throttle that can go 25+ mph, get out of the bike lane and get into the street with the other motorized vehicles. If you are operating a vehicle, then the same laws should apply and be enforced.
Even if this is a war on bikes so what? They are fighting a war on cars.
Please ban these ebikes already. Registration is not going to accomplish anything because there is no enforcement. Bigger government, no results. There is no reason people need ebikes.
Anyone who is focusing on the threat of E-Bikes over the threat of cars has seriously lost the thread.
Your statement is a type of fallacy known as a “false dichotomy.” Both E-bikes and cars are threats to public safety. People are capable about being concerned with more than one thing at a time. There’s no reason to choose. What’s worse is that your statement is basically the Trans Alt propaganda.
By average of miles traveled and kinetic energy, e-bike drivers are much more dangerous to pedestrians than cars/
It doesn’t matter what we require. It’s all about enforcement.
…and law enforcement in NYC these days is corrupt, corrupt, corrupt. As we are learning, it stinks from the head.
“A spokesperson for Transportation Alternatives previously told the Rag that they see Priscilla’s Law as part of a war on bikes more generally, and that e-bike licensing would be “ineffective and a nightmare.” They also argued that these regulations could lead to discriminatory police stops against e-bike users who are delivery workers and that it would dissuade ridership.”
A war on bikes? These people are so over the top, just like any radical. How about that the current bike situation is a war on pedestrians? Why exactly would e-bike licensing be a “ineffective and a nightmare”? The city regulates everything from food vendor licenses to certificates of occupancy for apartment buildings. There is no evidence that there would discriminatory police stops. Follow the law and you won’t get stopped.
The two council members rescinded their support after lobbying by Transportation Alternatives should be run out of office.
One person got hurt by an e bike and then rescinded their support after lobbying.
we don’t need more legislation, rules, paperwork, etc. i am CERTAIN that the laws on the books currently are sufficient to prevent 99.9999% of the problems we see with ebikes. registration will not curb behavior in the same way that current laws are not curbing behavior. we need to ban these bikes.
i am not a democrat, but i always looked at the UWS and the city as a democrat bastion, full of people with clout who could really get things done. but apparently, i am very wrong. the disconnect between city government and its people is so bad at this point that its disturbing. we literally cannot even cross the street at this point – and the funny thing about it is that although NOBODY wants these ebikes, we literally cannot do anything about it. central park is overrun by people disregarding the rules/laws of the park 24/7 all day long!!! why is all this stuff happening that, by far, the majority of people don’t want?
the city, and its representatives, have gotten so used to giving it’s constituents the brush off, that its not even a thing anymore, its to be expected. we literally do not have a representative government in this city, we have an out of control city government that has no competition and can afford to ignore the wants and needs of its citizens without suffering any consquences at all.
lotta gray hair in that picture
Keep them out of the parks. Keep them out of the bike lanes. Make them yield to pedestrians in the crosswalks. Keep them from riding against traffic. To protect pedestrians, treat them like cars. Oh, I forgot.