New York City Mayor Eric Adams's administration has issued cease-and-desist orders to 42 online retailers for illegally selling high-speed e-bikes and scooters, threatening fines of $2,000 per sale if they do not comply by August 18. Mayor Adams stated that the city "cannot and will not accept these dangerous vehicles on our city streets" and criticized companies for marketing illegal products to unsuspecting New Yorkers.
The crackdown targets future sales of specific categories of illegal devices: stand-up scooters exceeding 100 pounds or capable of speeds over 20 mph; e-bikes with motors larger than 750 watts or speeds above 25 mph; and seated mopeds without a Vehicle Identification Number.
However, Mayor Adams declined to commit to removing vehicles already sold and on city streets or to support legislation requiring e-bike and scooter registration. When asked about enforcement against existing illegal vehicles, he stated, "For now, this is our focus." He also expressed opposition to mandatory registration, saying, "I do not believe that would actually improve street safety, and that’s not an approach I would pursue."
These actions come as City Council Speaker Julie Menin has proposed legislation to address what she described as a lack of enforcement against illegal e-bike riders. The announcement also follows a recent fatality where a 17-year-old on an illegal e-bike collided with a parked SUV near the Brooklyn Bridge.
Critics have labeled the mayor's response as "impotent." The NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance stated that the order "does nothing to get the highly dangerous illegal e-vehicles off the street" and highlighted an increase in e-vehicle trauma admissions at hospitals. According to the mayor's office, illegal rides have been responsible for over half of e-bike rider deaths since 2017. A study by NYU Langone found that crashes involving "micromobility" devices surged from under 10% of trauma cases in 2018 to over half by 2023, now comprising nearly 7% of all trauma admissions at the hospital.
Mamdanis' Department of Transportation Commissioner, Mike Flynn, acknowledged the problem, stating, "There are illegal devices on our streets that are causing confusion and creating safety risks."
The city is currently facing a lawsuit related to Mayor Adams's earlier decision in March to end criminal enforcement against reckless e-bike riders. The mayor himself questioned the utility of existing laws if they are not enforced, pointing out that retailers have continued to sell outlawed vehicles for six years.