BY OTTO FRITTON | Four years ago, electric bikes were riding high in New York City. They allowed food delivery drivers — often hailed as heroes of the pandemic — to rapidly deliver our highly-anticipated takeout orders.
Fast-forward to today, though, with the pandemic in the rear-view mirror, and popular opinion on electric vehicles has shifted dramatically, with many people now considering them dangerous. With the streets once again full of pedestrians, electric micro-mobility vehicles — often e-bikes ridden by delivery workers — are often seen whisking through red lights, motoring along sidewalks and going the wrong way on streets and in bike lanes.
However, according to longtime bicycling advocate Bill Di Paola, the current situation is similar to that of 20 years ago.
“I always look at stuff on a positive scale,” Di Paola said “There are a lot of complaints about these electric bikes. However, there were a lot of complaints about bicycling years ago, too.”
An environmental strategist as well as a biking booster, Di Paola has worked to improve public opinion on cycling. When the biking movement burgeoned in New York, public reception was not fully positive, sometimes even hostile.
As the founder of the environmental organization Time’s Up!— which does educational outreach and direct action to promote a more sustainable, less toxic city — Di Paola was a key figure in the creation of Critical Mass, basically “street takeover rides” meant to alter public opinion about urban cycling.
“This change to biking in the city was not accepted too well by the city,” Di Paola recalled. “We had to get people biking, so we began creating group bike rides. What happens in a group ride is people are gaining confidence to ride a bike. Every month, we were gaining about 1 percent more bikes. By a certain time, we had this thing called the Critical Mass.”
Thirty-one years ago, the first Critical Mass ride, led by Time’s Up!, took place between Washington Square Park and the Astor Place “Cube.” Less than one year after the start of the San Francisco Critical Mass — the country’s first — the idea had arrived in New York. According to the Times Up! Web site, the event was “formed with the premise that the best way for cyclists in the city to promote cycling visibility and safety was to ride together in a group.”
The number of cyclists at local Critical Mass rides swelled in 2004 when George W. Bush and the Republican National Convention came to town and for a few years afterward, as the monthly event morphed into more of a freewheeling protest. It became a game of cat and mouse with police. But with the city’s eventual rollout of more bike lanes, the street-occupying ride became more low key.
Returning to today, Di Paola agrees regulations on e-bikes must be tightened to ensure pedestrian safety, yet feels it isn’t right or even feasible to remove electric vehicles outright from the streets. Although delivery e-bikers’ reputation as “heroes” may have dimmed, the majority of them are struggling — with many of them immigrants — to obtain a better life.
As a positive example, Di Paola cited an e-bike company, JOCO, with which he has had good experiences. Founded in New York City three years ago, JOCO provides e-bikes, mainly catering to delivery drivers, at more than 50 locations around the city. One of JOCO’s bases is in the East Village. The city has sued the company, arguing that Citi Bike has an exclusive contract for bike-sharing here; but JOCO countered that its bikes operate from privately owned locations.
“It allows them to make a living wage,” Di Paola said of the delivery workers. “And, you know, they support them, and they have events for them, and they try to teach them.”
The veteran activist noted he orders food from the delivery apps and, as a result, often talks with the busy “deliveristas” about their jobs and the challenges they face.
“You know, any kind of new technology, it’s going to come, we can’t stop it,” Di Paola reflected. “It’s just we have to figure out how it can be safer and work together with the existing situation.”
Wow.
My co-worker just got grazed/hit by a guy on e-Citibike.
The guy was looking at his phone and went through a red light.
He knew – but seemed to have little concern and kept going.
Healthy 20-something.
The entitlement is mind-boggling.
And seriously not fair that NYC continues to spend tax dollars and fund bicycling.
This article seems to bring a lot of different points, but it seems like what Time’s Up environmental organization is trying to get across is that you can’t stop technology and that e-bikes all across the United States are on the increase and can be a way to get people out of their gas-guzzling, polluting cars. In fact, elderly people are going back to biking with the assistance of electric bikes — and electric wheelchairs, scooters, etc. have revolutionized transportation with people with disabilities. Thank you Time’s Up for helping save the world.
Two weeks ago I was a victim of a hit and run by a heavy Citi Bike e-bike hurtling the wrong way on Broadway. I was thrown face-down onto the middle of the street with traffic starting to head toward me. The rider watched me hit the asphalt, and drove away. My jaw, rotator cuff and knee are still painful. Requiring all e-vehicles to be registered, licensed and subject to traffic laws is critical (including getting them OFF the sidewalks!). NYCEVSA.org is trying. City Council…Please help keep New Yorkers safe!!!
“Ban bikes”? I despair for the future of humanity when I read such words. Bicycles are the future, if there is one. The private automobile is driving (literally) the apocalypse. It is cars that must be banned if there is to be any future for us on this planet!
I don’t know how to drive and honestly I wish NYC would ban bikes.
Bicyclists are egregious in their disregard for pedestrians.
Instead of increasing the City’s contribution to essential State MTA bus and subway, the City is spending tons of money on encouraging bicycling and growing Citibike, bike lanes.
The City is actually sabotaging MTA bus and subway.
Able-bodied New Yorkers can walk, take the bus and subway.
You can have my bicycle when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
OK. Not a problem. If you ride recklessly, that’s how you will wind up.
Am I to interpret that as a death threat? Or concern for my safety? I will be generous and assume the latter. I do not ride recklessly. 103 pedestrians were killed by cars in NYC last year. One by an ebike, and zero by a purely human-powered bike, the kind I use. Pease re-examine your priorities.
For safety of all, how about stationing cops at busy intersections to direct bikes to go the right direction on streets and bike lanes, to stop at lights? How about ticketing vehicles parked in bike lanes, not to mention getting cops to stop parking in bike lanes?
I saw police in Chinatown ticketing street vendors and confiscating their goods (houseplants!) while bikes whizzed by in both directions and vehicles parked in our bike lanes. Get the cops to do their jobs in a way that will make us safer.
This article is more gaslighting from those people who are all to willing to dictate their views over their fellow citizens in a democracy. It’s nonsense and pathetic and scary. Stop.
Just one example:
Today with a colleague at Church & Warren.
Bicycles – both pedal and e – going all ways, through the red light, the wrong way, not in the bike lane and all at the same time.
A bus had the light and was trying to turn but a bicycle came from nowhere and weaved in front of the bus causing the bus to brake.
Citibike the worst.
My colleague nearly hit by Citibiker. When my colleague yelled out, the Citibiker cursed in response.
Citibikers – mostly upscale guys.
They can just walk or take the subway or bus.
Ban bikes
NYC Council Member Carlina Rivera (District 2) plans to reintroduce a bill (Originally 0288-2022) to establish an Office of Pedestrians. This could allow pedestrians to establish and maintain a dedicated and organized voice in advocating for improved walkability. Please encourage CM Rivera (email is District2@Council.NYC.Gov) and other electeds to support this initiative.
CM Rivera is a supporter of the bicycle lobby – that is her priority.
Incredibly she was willing to sacrifice bus riders for the bicycle lobby with her Open Streets legislation, and allowing DOT to implement Open Streets on avenues, forcing buses to detour.
Tell Carlina Rivera to add her name as a co-sponsor of City Council Bill 606 that requires all e-bikes, e-scooters, etc be licensed and registered. The bill is called Priscilla’s Law named for Priscilla Loke who was killed by an e-Citi-Bike rider running a red light. The bill now has 31 co-sponsors. It needs just 3 more for a veto-proof majority that will force the silent City Council Speaker to obey the will of the people and schedule a hearing and a vote
As for this nonsensical Office of Pedestrians she’s dreamed up: it’s just a smokescreen she’s using to show you she “cares.” What she really cares about is serving the interests of the malevolent bicycle lobbying group Transportation Alternatives! Don’t be fooled! Visit NYCEVSA.ORG
Regarding the issue of food delivery:
1. Many people don’t get food delivery.
2. With the exception of homebound, people who are ill, etc, food delivery serves the affluent — especially the young-healthy-wealthy demographic.
3. Able-bodied folks could actually walk to a store/shop or cook or walk to a restaurant and pick up — food delivery is not an “entitlement.”
4. The food delivery situation was very different just a few years ago before e-bikes and apps came on the scene — food delivery was local within 20-25 blocks and not every place “delivered.”
5. The food delivery situation was also different just a few years ago before the large numbers of “asylum seekers” came to NYC — there are now many more people attempting to do this work. In fact there is now an oversupply / glut of people seeking to do food delivery work.
The board of the so-called advocacy group Transportation Alternatives is chaired by Janet Liff, who told me years ago that she thought it was “funny” that she got ticketed for running a red light on her bike. It wasn’t “funny” — it was indicative of how little TransAlt cares about pedestrians and their safety as it pushes to turn our streets and sidewalks into ebike freeways.
Twenty years ago, there weren’t delivery apps deploying thousands of e-bikes on our streets and sidewalks!
Twenty years ago, pedal bikes weren’t going 28 mph or more in our urban areas!
Twenty years ago, pedestrians young and old, some with a disability, some with children, some with dogs, could safely cross our streets and walk on our sidewalks without fear of being severely hurt or worse!
Safety of pedestrians, pedal bike riders, drivers of cars, and, yes, e-vehicle riders is paramount NOW, in 2024… Let’s get it done — registration, license plates for all E-vehicles.
Dorothy
100%. This isn’t difficult to grasp. It shouldn’t be dangerous to walk on sidewalks.
The majority of citizens of this City are being disrespected by those who tell us that all these e-vehicles are not a safety issue. Just tell that to the family and friends of those who have been hit or killed. Anything with a motor needs to be registered, insured and licensed with a large plate we can all read — just like cars — so that the riders are held responsible for following the traffic laws.
Yes!!!
Join EVSA at NYC-evsa@outlook.com. Safety first. Safety in numbers.
E-bikes and e-vehicles of all kinds are very dangerous and out of control. Walking on our streets and in our parks has become scary and dangerous — one needs eyes in the back of their head and on all sides as these e-vehicles come speeding along, and one can’t usually hear them coming and many do not obey traffic rules. They run red lights, go down streets the wrong way and at great speed. They are much more dangerous than regular bicycles, although there is a need for bicycles to obey traffic laws as well. NYCEVSA.org is an organization that wants to promote safety and regulation, noble causes to say the least, considering the deaths and serious injuries caused by e-vehicles. Please bring some sanity and safety to our streets and parks.
There’s really no “dilemma.” NYC is flat like a pancake, e-bikes are not necessary for anything.
Because the “smell test” should always be at the ready when sanctimony fills in as justification for making money at the expense of others — some history and homework:
“Grubhub and JOCO’s E-Bike Charging Hub Violates Electric Codes, City Inspectors Find”….
an excerpt:
“The records describe the space as “a grub hub location” and cite the building’s property manager, Building Equity Management LLC, as the respondent for all four violations. Building Equity Management LLC did not respond to requests from THE CITY seeking comment.
Lisa Belot, a Grubhub spokesperson, described the situation as a “misunderstanding” and said the company and JOCO are working with the city to “clear up” the issue. JOCO management said their equipment is fully compliant with the law.
“It’s gonna be clarified very, very quickly. And we’re fully certified and the city is fully knowledgeable of what batteries we use,” JOCO co-founder and CEO Jonathan Cohen said on Thursday.
His co-founder and chief growth officer, who is also named Jonathan Cohen, added: “The FDNY has seen all the batteries we use. We’re fully in compliance today, and we continue to be fully compliant as things progress.”
The JOCO batteries at the hub are certified to an international safety standard known as IEC 62133, the co-founders said.
But legislation that Adams signed in March only approves a standard known as UL 2271, while leaving open the possibility of approving other safety standards in the future –- including, potentially, European standards, according to a source.”
Oh and then there’s the reddit comments…https://www.reddit.com/r/NYCbike/comments/12yvr39/whats_the_deal_with_the_orange_joco_bike_riders/?rdt=34132
https://www.thecity.nyc/2023/07/24/grubhub-joco-ebike-batteries-deliveristas-fdny/
Bill Di Paola is very aware that there is nothing “micro” about motorized e-vehicles and the injuries they cause. He is a self-serving frontman for Open Streets, Uber, Lyft, and Mark Gorton. He cites concern for delivery workers making a decent wage. His real concern is for himself making a living as an “activist.”
Four years ago New Yorkers were locked in their apartments and not trying to walk down the sidewalks or cross the streets. E-bikes must be regulated and licensed. Friends who have visited NYC recently for the first time in years cannot believe how dangerous our sidewalks have become because e-bikes speed down them, sideswiping pedestrians and then blowing through red lights. This isn’t about stopping technology, it is about public safety — like harnessing nuclear power versus blowing up the planet.
Exactly!
Yes!
There are a lot of ideas in this article that are jumbled together through false logic. I very much want e-bikes to continue to serve New Yorkers and society, but they cannot do so if they put citizens in danger by not following traffic laws, including riding on sidewalks. Personally, I think the inattentive Citi Bike user on an e-bike on the sidewalk is a greater menace than a professional delivery person in the streets. We need some accountability, so that riders will take not put others’ safety in jeopardy in such a cavalier manner.
Also, I’d like to point out that, as I remember it, 20 years ago there were still bike messengers who were really dangerous, but they were at least on lightweight bikes that weren’t self-propelled. This isn’t a reaction against technology or process, it’s simply a call for common sense, civility and public safety.
A Citi Bike rider killed Priscilla Loke. They are some of the worst riders for sure. Her family called Citi Bike and Citi Bike said, “We can’t do a thing. It’s on the rider.” The rider received a ticket for blowing through a red light. THIS is unacceptable! http://www.nycevsa.org will not accept it. We are going to change the way our streets are being taken over by Transportation Alternative’s greed. One of their biggest donors is Citi Bike! Follow the money and therein lies the truth.
I hope Loke’s family still sued Citi Bike. No defendant wants to get sued, so they’ll tell you anything. They are the product and the product is faulty. Parents who let their kids have guns when they kill people, and parents who gave their kid a BMW when he had no driver’s license are now being held responsible. The Lokes MUST sue Citi Bike and if necessary take it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. Also, sue the rider and bankrupt him for the rest of his life.
The number of e-bikes on our streets has dramatically increased. In theory this is a great idea for a city. However, in practice most e-bikes do not follow traffic laws and present a danger to pedestrians, other bikers, cars and themselves. There is no accountability for them and this needs to change.
We need to register the e-bikes as a first step, so that bad actors can be identified and held accountable. Consequences will change behavior. Let’s take this modern addition to our city life and make it governable. We did this 100 years ago with autos on our streets and this is no different.
I agree. Well said!
“They allowed food delivery drivers — often hailed as heroes of the pandemic — to rapidly deliver our highly-anticipated takeout orders.”
No, they were never known or referred to as “heroes of the pandemic.” The heroes were doctors and nurses, not people delivering food to people too lazy to cook or walk to pick up their own food.
Best comment ever:
“No, they were never known or referred to as ‘heroes of the pandemic.’ The heroes were doctors and nurses, not people delivering food to people too lazy to cook or walk to pick up their own food.”
No offense, Bill, but you truly don’t know you’re a$$ from a hole in the ground. The scary thing is that YOU are a “bike advocate” — ROFL!!!
Out of curiosity, who claims they are a bigger bike advocate, you or the mayor?
Comparing biking from 30+ years ago is apples to oranges. Last I checked, regular bikes don’t weigh 70+ pounds or go 25 mph and faster (albeit save for a small population of bike riders who believe they are doing time trials for the Giro de Italia).
100%
E-Vehicle Safety Alliance here…to speak the truth! E-bike issue is NOTHING like bicycle complaints of years ago! What a dangerous comment, Bill D! Bicycles are NOT e-bikes. The latter are so much more dangerous. In 2023 76% of total bike deaths were on e-bikes!
E-bikes have motors, they weigh a lot more, go faster and brake more slowly. We have 89 victims of e-vehicle crashes, just in NYC-EVSA, and over 900 members (150 plus are CYCLISTS- including victims). Any REAL cyclist knows that an e-bike should not be in the same classification as a bicycle. E-bikes should be in a moped class and require a visible license plate. This ensures accountability. Cars have plates for a reason.
Senator Schumer, Bill D, have you met with victims of e-bike violence? Go to our web site and meet a few of our pedestrians and cyclists. You can’t “meet with” Priscilla Loke or Kabrinda Nath Sen because they were killed by e-bikes merely by walking legally!
Of our 89 pedestrian and bicycle victims, in just our one group, we have one family of victims killed, paralyzations, 11 skull fractures, 8 Traumatic Brain Injuries, 7 brain bleeds, 2 hip replacements, 12 titanium plates, 53 broken ribs, vision loss, broken clavicles – broken feet – hands – arms- legs – wrists – shoulders. All have PTSD. How dare you make light of the daily tragedy around us and liken this crisis of e-vehicle death and violence to bicycle complaints!?
29 bike rider deaths in nyc in 2023 and 21 were on e-bikes! 7 of these e-bike riders hit stationary objects – not even looking – because e-bikes create “auto pilot”. Any e-biker death or pedestrian or cyclist killed is reported correctly from morgue to DOT. But crashes with injuries are almost NEVER reported. The DOT stats on these crashes are completely skewed. Of our 89 victims, only 4 have accurate police reports. 3 were reported as “motor vehicle” crash — counts as a car) 14 victims didn’t try to report and the other 68 were told, “I can’t report it because the rider fled” or “It has been too many days since accident to report -even though you were in hospital.” FACTS!
Our quality of life, in what should be a walkable city, has disintegrated. Elderly and disabled people are especially vulnerable. They are more isolated than ever due to fear of walking outside! FACT!
And… e-vehicles MUST be banned from our parks! It is our ONLY oasis left.
Join the truth tellers. We represent the majority of New Yorkers, not the wealthy special-interest bike lobby, who are the reason we are in this crisis.
http://www.nycevsa.org
I am a proud member of EVSA. I am tired of being endangered by e-bikes going in all directions, on sidewalks,through traffic lights. Years ago bikers obeyed laws.
Bravo, Janet Schroeder and nycevsa.org! There is nothing remotely like the biking of 20, 30 or 40 years ago as compared to MOTORIZED bikes we know today as e-bikes — nor were there ever as many on our streets. EVSA’s responding to this city and state government dereliction is not just an act of decency and care but one of common cause. Thank you for your commitment and your perseverance. The City Council and the Mayor pretend to care about safety but it’s lip service when it comes to e-bikes menacing our streets and sidewalks. No issue has united more New Yorkers than the danger and risk of injury from lawless e-bikes.
‘Menacing’ is the perfect word. Thank YOU!
Bravo for Janet and EVSA! Janet for Mayor!!!
Moralizing while laughing all the way to the bank? Be still my skeptical heart!
The man wants in on the big bucks…who can blame him?
When one searches the raison d’etre of snake oil sanctimony, it’s easy to find what is being sold ain’t what it appears — but dang, it’s sure profitable!
What began as a salubrious hobby — PEDALING a bike for health and to avoid subpar public transportation — has since become PEDDLING…pushing cultish and divisive and, yes, harmful motorized-cycle hostage-taking of our sidewalks and our streets.
The mayor and his administration, along with far too many City Councilmembers, have picked their constituency — those who keep their campaign larder well-$tocked! The rest of us — pedestrians terrorized on sidewalks, streets and while going about our everyday business — will continue be forced to suck it up, it seems.
Charlatans, Silicon Valley investors who run the deliverista APP scams and the self-dealers who wag their fingers at us while righteously collecting their bounty have taken over the henhouse…
OR…if you’ve “had it,” as I have, join the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance and demand accountability…we are the majority! https://www.nycevsa.org/
That about says it all and says it very well
Come on. You can’t pedal a bike? They are motor vehicles — period — 6that travel over the speed limit. Just look at the skid marks in the bike lane. You want one to crash into you, your wife, your kids? 21 people dead this year. Tell it to them.
Exactly, John Campo!
“21 people dead this year.”
Can you provide a citation for this claim?
You can’t – because it’s utterly false.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/nyregion/nyc-cyclist-deaths-ebike.html
Jeremy thinks it’s false — so it’s false, everyone. No, Jeremy, it is FACTS!
No, Janet, I provided a citation with actual data. If you were to actually read the link that I posted you would know this.
It’s unfortunate that you are not able to follow a thread. My link and my other comments on here clearly state that I think it’s true. Not only do I think it’s true but I provided a link to data that supports that fact that it’s true. You are being childish and nasty to someone who shares your point of view. You should feel pretty silly.
See the article “Why Bicycle Deaths in New York City Are at a 24-Year High,” published March 5, 2024 on the nytimes.com. You can google it. It’s amazing how confident you are in your uninformed assertion.
The first thing that came up on my google search was:
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/05/nyregion/nyc-cyclist-deaths-ebike.html
“Most of the 30 cyclists who died in 2023 were riding electric bikes, which have proliferated on city streets in recent years. A total of 23 people died riding e-bikes, which is more than double the previous record for e-bike fatalities.”
Are you kidding me!? These are DOT 2023 stats. NYC Department of Transportation! We follow every reported stat. It’s why we know how underreported the injury stats are. Deaths are reported from hospital/morgue/death certificate. They can’t be denied. Injuries are almost never reported — cops rarely write them up! 29 bikers (cyclists or e-bikes) were killed riding in 2023. 21 were e-bikes. Thats 76%. Don’t even try to come at me about e-bike stats or anything having to do with victims (pedestrians, cyclists or e-bikes).
The solution to end this chaos is to license, register and insure all e-bikes, e-scooters, e-Citi Bikes and all other e-things terrorizing us daily by riding against traffic, on sidewalks and through red lights without fear of any consequence. I belong to the only organization in the city fighting to bring sanity and safety back to our streets. We have two bills languishing in the City Council held up by the Council Speaker and the malevolent bicycle lobbying group Transportation Alternatives. Write and tell Speaker Adrienne Adams to bring Council bills 606 and 60 to the floor for a hearing and a vote. 606 will license and register all e-vehicles. It’s called Priscilla’s Law, named for Priscilla Loke, killed by an e-Citi Bike rider running a red light. His punishment: a red light ticket. 60 would ban all e-bikes from all New York City parks. Why are there e-bikes in the park anyway? It’s a “pilot program” that was just quietly renewed for a second year. Enough is enough. Visit NYCEVSA.org
Yes it is, Ron. And JoCo bikes are as bad as Citibikes. Greed over safety.
We can’t wait until all of these e-bikes are regulated. Anyone against e-bike regulation is against safety. They are either for safety for all (from all vehicles with motors) or they are not for safety AT all. These greedy companies don’t require helmets, don’t give real training, don’t insure riders or require an identifying plate for accountability. They couldn’t care less about their own riders either. The hypocrisy of it all is staggering. These companies are ableist and ageist.
Joco bikes are exclusively for food delivery now. So even crazier than regular Citi Bikes:
“Joco originally launched in NYC in 2021 as a Citi Bike competitor. The startup tried to sidestep Lyft-owned Citi Bike’s exclusive vendor agreement with the Department of Transportation by placing its docked bikes in private parking lots, rather than on public property. However, Lyft sued the budding company, so Joco decided to pivot to target gig economy workers.”
source: https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/26/grubhub-joco-team-up-to-give-nyc-delivery-workers-access-to-e-bikes/
Yes. This isn’t unreasonable to license, register and insure e-vehicles, big or small.