Electric scooters and electric bicycles are seen as a public menace by some, and these same eco-friendly modes of transportation are seen as a way to combat traffic and lower one’s carbon footprint to boot by others. The city of New York has been pretty ambivalent until recently.
On Wednesday, a bill is set to be codified and signed into law. The bill would legalize both electric scooters and electric bicycles across the state of New York, which would mean that these eco-friendly forms of transportation will finally be available to residents and tourists in New York City.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/nyregion/scooters-nyc.html
Three Bike Classes
Three classes of electric bicycles are slated to be legalized when the bill comes into effect. The pedal-assist electric bicycle has a top speed of 20 miles per hour, which means that it’s slightly faster than an idling car and still relatively safe for straightaways.
The next two classes of electric bicycle have received more controversy in the sense that they’re throttle-controlled.
There are two types of throttle-controlled electric bicycles that will see action in New York City once the law comes into effect – the throttle-controlled electric bicycle with a top speed of 20 miles an hour and the throttle-controlled electric bicycle with a top speed of 25 miles per hour.
The interesting part about all of this is that the pedal assist electric bicycle with a top speed of 20 miles per hour and the throttle-controlled electric bicycle with a top speed of 20 miles per hour will be legal across the entire state of New York.
https://nypost.com/2019/06/17/new-york-legalizes-controversial-e-bikes-and-scooters/
The throttle-controlled electric bicycle with a top speed of 25 miles per hour, per contrast, will only be popular in New York City. The move to make all three classes legal in New York City is seen as a concession to deliverymen. New York Senator Jessica Ramos lead the push in congress.
Electric Scooters Legalized Too
Electric scooters will also be legalized across New York, but these are likely to top out at 20 miles per hour. There are scooters under consideration that race down the streets at 40 miles per hour, but those are considered too adventurous by New York’s lawmakers and aren’t expected to become legalized.
