Cuomo, Lawmakers Arrive at Deal to Legalize E-bikes

Albany – Lawmakers arrived at a deal with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to legalize e-bikes and e-scooters, a year after the governor vetoed the bill because it lacked a safety requirement for helmets.

“Let’s also in this budget ban single-use Styrofoam. Let’s expand e-bikes and e-scooters. And let’s make the fracking ban permanent once and for all,” Cuomo said on Tuesday during his annual budget address, laying out his $33 billion plan to combat the alleged effects of the climate.

The bill is the same as the one Cuomo vetoed, which had been sponsored by Sen. Jessica Ramos and Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, with the addition of a mandate for e-bikers riding up to 25 mph to wear helmets.

The law divides e-bikes into three categories. Class 1 are electronic bikes that are pedal assisted and have a top speed of 20 mph. Class 2 are throttle models with a top speed of 20 mph, and Class 3 throttle bikes have a top speed of 25 mph. Riders for all categories must be 16 and older, with riders under the age of 18 required to wear a helmet. It is permitted to transport children on e-bikes.
E-scooter speeds are capped at 15 mph.

The law would go into effect immediately upon passage of the budget, which generally happens by April 1.
The throttle e-bikes have proven controversial, particularly in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a crackdown on them two years ago, with police confiscating them and requiring riders to pay $500 to get them back. Most e-bike riders are deliverymen, who tend to be immigrants.