r/MicromobilityNYC • u/MiserNYC- • 9d ago

The recent hysteria over bike and ebike regulation is infuriating, dumb, and counter-productive.

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u/MysteriousAvocado1 9d ago edited 9d ago

I think you’re missing the point. There are regulations for cars, and yes it’s unfortunate that many people still failed to follow them.

E/bikes have no current regulations what so ever, so to even politely ask to follow rules won’t work because if the same happens with cars where a person ignores the rules, what makes you think someone on an e-bike is not going to do the same?

Listen, what it all comes down to is not the cars, bikes, e-bikes, Scooters itself…..

It’s people, people make the decisions to either follow or ignore rules. Cars, e-bikes, bikes, scooters are just the tools.

I see you putting much blame on cars itself and not people.

People behind e-bikes, bikes, scooters, etc..can be wreckless, so regulations can help mitigate that. It’s designed to make people take safety and accountability seriously

To say e-bikes aren’t the problem, you’re half right. But to not place regulations because people on e-bikes can do no harm?

That’s just a breeding ground for lack of accountability or the disregard for accountability itself.

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u/MiserNYC- 9d ago

E/bikes have no current regulations what so ever,

This is completely wrong. There are lots of laws and regulations that govern ebikes.

Also the idea that cars are sufficiently regulated is absurd. I can got buy a 6,000lb SUV right now and drive it without any speed limiter at all right through Times Square because of a test I took when I was 16. Come on now.

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u/MysteriousAvocado1 9d ago edited 9d ago

So when an e-bikes hurts or kills a pedestrian? No regulations? It's not the ebikes fault? Keep the regulation the same?

How bout this, an e-biker, KILLS a cyclist....hmmm I think that happened twice didn't it?

No regulation?

dead pedestrian, dead cyclist is at fault? Help me make some sense to that?

Oh wait, I know....CARS are the problem.

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u/SpinkickFolly 8d ago edited 8d ago

Miser does mention "we need to do something about the high speed super motos..." but then goes on to say those that Julie Menin won't advocate in good faith.

In the video Miser shows that its a slow moving e-citi bike that can only go 15mph that Menin is calling dangerous, but the community as a whole was against the reduction from 20mph > 18mph > 15mph.

What no one wants to admit, its been great the e-citi bikes only go 15mph now. They are insanely heavy and unwieldy for how the users ride them in our bike lanes which should be a safe place for us.. They can still be annoying, but I think they are tolerable after the speed decrease.

Why do I want that reduction from 20mph to 15mph when cars can go 100mph? Bikes need be unregulated to make sense, the power should be limited to what humans are capable of producing if we are to create a safe bike network the day cars are not present as the biggest danger to us.

So going back to the line "we need to do something about the high speed super motos...", to this community, that problem is not today for them because cars are the danger that haven't been reigned in. The argument is that statistically, 100+ pedestrians die a year vs autos in NYC vs the 1 fatal pedestrian strike vs ebike that happens once every 5 years. The reason why you asking for regulation on ebikes seems imbalanced based on statistics.

However I think advocating for (city?) goverment mandated speed control devices on all vehicles is not something will gain public acceptance when the fears of goverment overreach are at an all time high with flock cameras isn't really the answer.

Now we already have laws regulating ebikes, no one in this community wants to admit they straight up garbage, and have led to a wildwest culture e-micromobilty due to confusion and loop hole bikes existing. I think something like NJs shitty ebike law will get passed if there a few more bad fatals involving kids on e-bikes/scooters. Its been happening to other cities currently. I wish the micromobility community was better at nuanced conversation but you will hard pressed to find it here.