NYC e-bike riders must slow down starting Oct. 24 under the city’s new speed rules
Photo by Getty Images/Carstenbrandt
New York City’s e-bike riders will have to slow down in October when a new citywide speed limit goes into effect.
Mayor Eric Adams will announce later Wednesday that enforcement of the new 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes, e-scooters, and pedal-assist commercial bicycles will begin on Oct. 24.
Adams first signaled the plan back in June, promising “clear, consistent rules” for riders and pedestrians after complaints about speeding e-bikes in crowded city streets, saying the change would align with the current legal speed limit for e-scooters.
Currently, e-bikes can legally travel between 20 and 25 mph, depending on the class of the bike. So far this year, there have been 623 reported collisions involving e-bikes across the five boroughs, up from 455 during the same period last year. Despite the increase, e-bikes account for a minority of citywide crashes reported this year, compared with 12,727 collisions involving cars and 3,245 involving traditional bicycles.
An aim to regulate micromobility
The speed limit change, finalized Tuesday in the City Record, is part of the administration’s broader effort to regulate micromobility, particularly for commercial delivery riders.
“This new 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes is about keeping New Yorkers safe while continuing to keep our city moving,” said Mayor Adams. “As more New Yorkers turn to e-bikes and e-scooters to get around our city, New Yorkers have asked us to set clear, consistent rules to address this issue and protect everyone.”
The rule was first proposed on June 13. The Department of Transportation held a public hearing on July 14, during which it received about 900 comments.
According to the agency, commenters expressed a mix of concerns: many shared personal stories about unsafe e-bike behavior and accidents, while others worried about disproportionate impacts on delivery workers, who make up a large portion of e-bike riders in the city. Some suggested broader licensing, education, and insurance requirements for e-bike operators, similar to motor vehicles, though DOT noted that such changes are beyond the scope of this rule.
“With record bike ridership and a historic expansion of our protected bike lane network, we’re making it safer and easier than ever for the record number of New Yorkers choosing cycling by building infrastructure and providing education to meet the moment,” said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. “We are using every tool and studying worldwide best practices to ensure every New Yorker is traveling at safe speeds on our streets.”
Critics, including some transit advocates, have previously argued that the policy could disproportionately affect delivery workers, many of whom rely on e-bikes for their livelihood, while others say it may confuse riders used to faster speeds. Still, the city says the rule mirrors international norms, like the European Union’s roughly 15 MPH e-bike limit in bike lanes.
Riders have just over a month to get used to the new limit before enforcement begins. The limit already applies to electric Citi Bikes, which the Adams Administration pushed Lyft to implement in June.