New York finally legalizes electric scooters and e-bikes as part of new state spending bill, though cities will still be able to enforce their own bans
- The 2020 New York state budget will legalize e-bikes and e-scooters
- E-bike speeds will be limited to a top speed of 25mph, and scooters to 15mph
- The provision will require helmets to be warn, something that was missing from a 2019 attempt to legalize them, which ended with a veto from Gov. Cuomo
After years of struggle, electric scooters and e-bikes will be legal to use in New York state.
The provision was included in the recently unveiled state budget for 2020, about which state legislators and Governor Andrew Cuomo have reached a tentative agreement.
Electronic scooters will be legally allowed to travel at speeds up to 15mph.
A provision in New York’s tentative state budget for 2020 will legalize electric scooters and e-bikes across the state, though municipalities will still have the option to ban them
The budget also specifically three new classes of e-bikes that will be legal to use, according to a report in Engadget.
The first class are pedal-powered bicycles that also have electric motors with top speeds up to 20mph.
The next class are throttle-powered bikes that reach top speeds of 20mph; and the final class are throttle-powered bikes that reach top speeds of 25mph.
Anyone riding this final class of e-bike will also be required to wear a helmet by law, and 16 and 17 year-olds will also be required to wear helmets while riding electric scooters.
The absence of a helmet provision was part of what caused a previous attempt to legalize e-bikes and electric scooters in 2019 to end up vetoed by Andrew Cuomo after passing through state legislature.
It’s unclear where New York City will go along with the statewide legalization. Electric scooter rental firm Lime started a pilot program in Hoboken, New Jersey in 2019 and is hopeful to expand its business across the Hudson in 2020
While the budget legalizes the e-bikes and scooters across the state, it leaves an exemption for municipalities to enforce local bans.
It’s unclear whether the new provision will help electric scooter rental companies like Bird and Lime get permission to start operating in New York City.
Lime began operating a pilot program across in Hoboken, New Jersey in 2019.
Between October 23 and November 10, 673,000 trips were taken on Lime’s electric scooters with an average ride time of six minutes.
In a survey of people who used the program, 74.5 percent said they wanted the e-scooter rental service to continue (or continue with some improvements).
