Queens, NY – State Senator Jessica Ramos (D-Jackson Heights) and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D,WF-Fresh Meadows) announced legislation they authored that would legalize the use of electric bicycles and scooters across New York State. This bill preserves local authority over their own streets and sidewalks, allowing them to determine the rules and regulations of operation.

“I am introducing legislation with Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, and with the help and advocacy of the Delivery Justice Coalition, to legalize e-bikes and e-scooters. For many of my neighbors, who are immigrant delivery workers, using alternative modes of transportation is a matter of livelihood. Especially since we have not yet restored everyone’s right to a driver’s license, legalizing e-bikes and e-scooters is a matter of mobility and equal access to our streets and our city,” said State Senator Jessica Ramos. “I encourage all of my colleagues to embrace these alternative modes of transportation as we also consider how to reduce carbon emissions.”

“Not only do we have an opportunity to provide accessible and affordable transportation alternatives, but we have an opportunity to deliver economic justice for immigrant workers who have been disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of unregulated e-bikes,” said Assemblywoman Rozic. “We are falling behind the rest of the country in adopting this next generation of sustainable mobility but we can change that by passing this legislation.”

New York is one of the last states that has yet to legalize and define e-bicycles and e-scooters creating confusion over how these low-speed devices should be regulated.

For the thousands of food delivery workers in New York City, the lack of definition has also resulted in a crackdown targeting low-income workers of color who have been burdened with lost wages, summons, and confiscation of their e-bicycles. Survey data from 2017 gathered by the Biking Public Project revealed that approximately 60% of Asian and Latino delivery workers in New York City have had their e-bicycles confiscated from law enforcement.

E-bicycles and e-scooters are a safe, sustainable, and affordable mode of transportation. Interest in legalizing their use continues to grow as more efforts are underway to mitigate traffic congestion while achieving safety and environmental goals. Both e-bicycles and e-scooters are zero emission devices that serve as appealing transportation alternatives among underserved demographics and neighborhoods – specifically low-income communities of color – with limited options in transit deserts.

Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou said, “We urge the legislature to pass real e-bike regulations and end the improper policing of e-bikes. Thirty-three states already have definitions for e-bikes and regulations. New York is behind and we must pass community-based laws on e-bikes. Ebike users need their vehicles to make a living. In many cases, employers require workers to use e-bikes. Workers usually own their bikes, often making repairs and performing maintenance on their bikes without employer or professional technical support. They work long hours in brutal weather conditions to complete their jobs and frequently earn below minimum wage. In cracking down on e-bikes, the City has cracked down on their livelihoods. We must do better as a state and city in creating fairer rules. Thank you to all my colleagues in the Assembly and Senate for standing with us today. I want also to thank all of the advocates who have worked tirelessly on this issue and look forward to working with you all further.”

Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas said, “If we aim to reduce carbon emissions and traffic congestion in New York State, we need to consider all alternative means of transportation. We cannot punish delivery workers in our city who rely on electric bicycles to do their jobs. They have begun to take on the challenge of climate change and we must empower them – not fight them. Imposing hefty fines upon these workers is the contradictory to our state’s goal. I support this legislation because emerging technologies like e-bikes are changing our transportation landscape and we need to make sure that our policy is update on technological advances.”

Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the New York City Council Transportation Committee said, “I support E-Bikes, New Yorkers need a better way to get around. Immigrants that use the E-Bikes do so because they help them support their families and they provide them with a source of income. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that we legalize E-bikes for all New Yorkers.”

Marco Conner, Interim Executive Director, Transportation Alternatives said, “E-bikes are legal in 30 other States in America. We are thankful for Senator Ramos and Assembly Member Rozic taking this long-overdue step for New York to join the rest of the country. By doing so we promote safe and sustainable transportation that will replace thousands of cars and alleviate congestion, and we help finally end the City’s draconian broken windows policing against food delivery workers. Passing this bill is paramount for a safe and fair New York City.”

Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of the Asian American Federation said, “For too long, delivery workers have felt the heavy hand of enforcement for using e-bikes. E-bikes are vital to these largely immigrant workers, who cannot meet employer and customer demands without them, and who suffer police harassment and steep fines for using e-bikes to do their jobs. We thank our champions in the New York State legislature for their leadership in stopping the economic exclusion of immigrants, and restoring dignity to delivery work.”

Do Lee, Biking Public Project said, “This legislation delivers justice and legality for immigrant workers riding e-bikes rather than perpetuate the status quo of criminalizing immigrant labor yet eating the food they bring. Together, let’s end NYC’s racist and unjust crackdown on immigrant workers on e-bikes, so that New York State can exemplify how to support immigrants.”

Steven B. Wasserman, Attorney Criminal Practice, Legal Aid Society said, “The Legal Aid Society stands with the thousands of food delivery workers of New York City who earn a difficult living by delivering food to our doors on electric bicycles. Electric bicycles are an essential part of today’s food delivery industry, and those workers must have access to safe, affordable and legally compliant bicycles. Without this legislation these predominantly immigrant workers will continue to labor in a state of constant fear of having their bikes confiscated and of being hit with heavy fines. Everyone who cares about them needs to support this legislation or something equivalent to it.”

Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council said, “The Chinese-American Planning Council thanks Senator Jessica Ramos and Assembly Member Nily Rozic for championing immigrant workers. Delivery workers, who are mostly immigrants struggling with low-wage jobs, rely on e-bikes to support themselves and their families. Their proposed legislation to legalize e-bikes would provide a good balance between public safety and worker rights.”

Macartney Morris, Astoria resident and transit advocate with TransAlt Queens Committee and Biking Public Project said, “Legalizing e-bikes in New York State would be revolutionary. Not only would it get the police off the backs of hard-working immigrant delivery cyclists but it would be a transportation game changer for every New Yorker, especially those in outer boroughs like Queens. I thank Assembly Member Rozic and Senator Ramos for their progressive and truly visionary leadership on this issue.”

Phil Jones, Senior Director for Strategic Development and Government Relations at Lime said, “Micro-mobility options such as e-bikes and e-scooters can greatly improve the daily lives of New Yorkers, especially delivery workers – but only if Albany advances this important legislation from Sen. Ramos and Assm. Rozic. New Yorkers deserve access to electric vehicles, and Albany must act before the end of this legislative session so that companies like Lime can provide them. Whether New Yorkers can easily get around their own city should not depend on their background, bank account or zip code.”

Paul Steely White, Director of Safety Policy and Advocacy at Bird said, “Bird’s equitable, environmentally friendly transportation solution gives people around the world the freedom to move around affordably and effectively. New Yorkers at least deserve the same. We are grateful for the leadership of Sen. Ramos and Assemblywoman Rozic who are championing the kind of visionary and inclusive policy New York should embrace.”

William Burns, Director of Government Partnerships for Spin said, “Being able to move efficiently and safely outside of a car is incredibly important in a city like New York. No matter where you live, the freedom to walk, bike, or connect to where you need to go via the subway isn’t just a matter of leisure, it’s a matter of livelihood. We support the state’s efforts to not only increase the modes of sustainable transportation available to New York City’s hard-working residents, but to hand the regulation of hyper-local transportation issues to municipalities who know their streets best.”

B. Sarah Haynes, Ph.D., Co-founder & Co-CEO, Bolt Mobility said, “Bolt Mobility is committed to providing safe, affordable and sustainable transportation solutions for all. We are proud to champion transportation alternatives that promote transit-equity and keep our cities, and our planet, clean for generations to come.”

Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters said, “Expanding low-emission transportation options like e-bikes and e-scooters helps New Yorkers decrease their carbon footprint while removing antiquated restrictions on working-class families. Reducing emissions from the transportation sector, the #1 contributor to climate change in New York, and expanded mobility options have long been top priorities for NYLCV. These new transportation options would also help make streets more livable and decrease congestion. With congestion pricing coming, New Yorkers need all transportation options to be available. We thank Senator Ramos and Assemblymember Rozic for steering efforts to modernize and green our transportation system and look forward to working with them as this legislation moves forward.”

Support for the legislation includes the Deliver Justice Coalition which is comprised Make the Road, Transportation Alternatives, the Asian American Federation, Biking Public Project, and The Legal Aid Society. The bill follows passage of legislative efforts to encourage alternative modes of transportation to combat climate change.