{"id":899798,"date":"2026-06-29T02:07:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T02:07:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/899798\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T02:07:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T02:07:31","slug":"mamdani-is-sued-over-e-bike-policy-as-safety-debate-escalates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/899798\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani is sued over e-bike policy as safety debate escalates"},"content":{"rendered":"

The battle over safety and e-bike policy<\/a> is going from the streets and sidewalks of New York City to a courtroom in Staten Island.<\/p>\n

Attorney James Walden on June 24 filed a lawsuit against New York City and Mayor Mamdani on behalf of a half dozen residents, saying a recent softening of e-bike regulations exposes residents to greater danger and daily risk.<\/p>\n

The suit, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Richmond County, was filed with Staten Island resident and New York City Council Member Frank Morano<\/a> as lead plaintiff.<\/p>\n

Plaintiffs include elderly residents, those injured in accidents and legally blind Staten Island resident Walter Matuza who joined a rally on the City Hall steps June 25.<\/p>\n

Walden, who leads nonprofit watchdog group NYC Common Sense, argues because e-vehicles, such as e-bikes, are unregistered and drivers unlicensed, weakening enforcement has an outsized effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe absence of any meaningful regulation or oversight corresponds with a dramatic rise in fatalities, catastrophic injuries and reckless driving, endangering e-bike drivers themselves and the public at large,\u201d according to the suit, which cites emergency room statistics.<\/p>\n

The litigation focuses on Mayor Mandami\u2019s decision to suspend a policy imposed in the Mayor Adams administration, which the suit says significantly increased risks to New Yorkers including those on e-bikes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey took away criminal summons. There\u2019s nothing else in its place,\u201d said Janet Schroeder, founder of the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance. \u201cWe need to put something in its place like registration for e vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0
\n\"peopleThe battle over safety and e-bike policy is going from the streets and sidewalks of New York City to a courtroom in Staten Island.Photo credit: NYC Common Sense\n<\/p>\n

The suit notes Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, when Adams was mayor, said police would begin issuing criminal summonses, requiring court appearances, for many e-vehicle violations such as ignoring stop signs.<\/p>\n

Mamdani on March 18, 2026, issued a policy directive prohibiting the NYPD from using criminal enforcement for basic e-bike violations,\n<\/p>\n

He did this, according to the suit, without examining the policy\u2019s effectiveness or \u201cthe growing national trend to enforce criminal penalties.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

The suit says Mamdani \u201coverruled the professional judgment of his own police commissioner.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery New Yorker on our roads, whether driving or biking, deserves to be treated fairly,\u201d Mayor Mamdani said in a statement. \u201cBy ending criminal summonses for low-level traffic offenses, we\u2019re ensuring cyclists and e-bike riders \u2014 including those who deliver our food and groceries \u2014 are treated like others on the road.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tisch, when she announced the new policy, under Adams, in a May 14, 2025 Op-ed said, \u201cThe rapid proliferation of e-bikes has not been met with any meaningful governance for their safe use until now.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said criminal summonses, in appropriate cases, would be used amid behavior that is \u201cclearly unlawful, dangerous and degrading our collective quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riding motorized vehicles on sidewalks and the wrong direction on streets, failing to stop at traffic lights and stop signs are all illegal.\n<\/p>\n

Mamdani said he and the City Council also would \u201cstrengthen safety standards, hold app companies accountable and expand training for delivery drivers.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis balanced approach supports riders while protecting pedestrians and motorists,\u201d he added.\n<\/p>\n

The suit, however, says this was done without relying on data in a decision with a \u201csevere, disparate impact on the elderly and disabled.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\u201cIf every person who drove an e-bike and every e-bike was licensed and registered, you could treat them like cars. If they didn\u2019t pay a fine, you could find them,\u201d Walden said. \u201cA civil summons is like a traffic ticket, but since there is no license, it is difficult to enforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reports \u201cundercount the crisis\u201d<\/p>\n

Walden said the decision to end this procedure was \u201carbitrary and capricious,\u201d exposing New Yorkers to greater risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe just overturned it,\u201d Walden said. \u201cOur position is the mayor can\u2019t possibly justify reversing a policy that he didn\u2019t even bother to study.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Morano, a Republican who represents the 51st Council District, in Staten Island, sued in his personal capacity not as a Councilmember.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the mayor\u2019s decision with this executive order to relax the standards makes these matters worse,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to talk about more regulations to get safer e-bike practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

The suit argues \u201cthe City\u2019s official police reports undercount the crisis,\u201d something Schroeder has long said.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI talk to victims all day. None of them have police reports. They have ER records,\u201d Schroeder said, noting her group includes 128 victims and only eight with police reports. \u201cThe ambulance and EMT come to the site and take the person away before cops are there most of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The suit seeks as a remedy to get the court to declare this directive void, allowing the NYPD and its officers \u201cto enforce the traffic laws based on their professional judgement on a case by case basis, including by issuing criminal summonses to e-bike drivers in appropriate circumstances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the police make decisions based on public safety, the mayor just on a whim can\u2019t say, \u2018I disagree and I\u2019m not going to allow you to do it,\u2019\u201d Walden said. \u201cAny citizen affected by that policy has the right to challenge that policy if it has a demonstrable effect on their safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Ben Furnas, however, praised Mamdani for \u201cending the previous administration\u2019s wrongheaded and bizarre targeting of New Yorkers on bikes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

He opposed \u201cpunishing bike riders criminally, while just giving drivers traffic tickets for the same infraction.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Mamdani pointed to measures to increase training for delivery workers and said the City will continue to work with Citi Bike \u201cto advance additional safety enhancements.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Jersey to implement new e-bike policy in July<\/p>\n

Groups like NYC EVSA support passing \u201cPriscilla\u2019s Law\u201d that would require licensing, registration, and visible license plates for legal e-vehicles in cities such as New York City.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want every e-vehicle to have a plate,\u201d Schroeder said. \u201cIt will change behavior if people think a traffic camera, that doesn\u2019t discriminate, might catch their plate. And they might get a ticket.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Jersey as of July 20 requires E-bikes to be registered and licensed with more rapid vehicles also requiring insurance.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there need to be fundamental reforms in addition to the mayor going back to enforcing law.,\u201d Morano said.\n<\/p>\n

Walden successfully sued then Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his administration over failing to seek proper approval for a homeless shelter, and the New York City Department of Education under Mayor Bill de Blasio regarding anti-bullying protocols.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was such a blatant reversal. This was a big deal,\u201d Walden said of this case. \u201cIt was a time when the public was up in arms about an increase in injuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

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