The three classes of ebike in the USA already makes sense and seems sensible and reasonable.
The problems arise from inconsiderate people, not the ebikes… people that mod their bikes and then ride them dangerously. I’ve also seen acoustic bike cyclists ride in a rude or dangerous fashion.
The laws we have already are enough. Just enforce them and encourage people to be considerate whether they are in a car, on an ebike, an acoustic bike, or on foot.
Adding more draconian laws that end up not being enforced (just like the existing laws) won’t fix a single thing.
I’m fine with class 3 as long as they aren’t allowed in the bike lane. You want an electric motorcycle that’s cool, just don’t come in the bike lane as it scares less experienced cyclists which makes it harder to grow. You can handle the streets.
I think ebikes should be able to switch classes.
I had one that would effectively let me do that. I’d always switch to a class 1 mode and pedal at the speed of other bikes when I was on a walking/biking path.
The trouble isn’t the ebikes, it’s the inconsiderate people on them.
Class 3 ebikes are only allowed in cities with more than 1 million people in ny state. NYC is the only city in the state above 1 million people and they already limit the speed of class 3 bikes. Also ebikes aren’t legal in the state of NY on streets above 30 mph. Also it’s illegal to ride an ebike on the sidewalk unless there’s a local statute. It’s alright to have a car that’ll go 150 mph or faster though, with over 500 hp, but we’re going to limit commuters or delivery people on ebikes from going the legal speed limit that other vehicles can go making them a hindrance to traffic. More political bs.
These ebike laws are a mess. I went through the hassle of getting mine registered with a license “plate” as required, but I have yet to see any other bikes in my area with the plates. To make things worse, the registration only last one year. :(
During an oil crisis no less. Free the Ebikes!
Can you still get a motorcycle license and use the bike?
I got an e bike for my long commute (~25 miles each way and some tough grade) and could only find class 3s with the range and power I was looking for. It’s heavy as shit and I’ve only gotten it above 20 mph on some long downhills and never go above 8mph on sidewalks.
I get the need for regulation, but It’d suck if my commuter gets banned and I have to go back to car commuting full time. Couldn’t we just get more dedicated bike trails/lanes? Or programs where I can trade in for a class 2 with good range and power that may come out?
There is a proposal for a trade-in program mentioned in the article
Forcing people into cars is what they want.
I highly doubt that considering they have fully implemented congestion pricing (which is effectively a penalty for using a car) in Manhattan. As far as my understanding is, there is no exclusion for people who live in the area. So they are simultaneously penalizing owning a car if you live within the bounds of the congestion pricing area.
They want to force people to use mass transit, which is more efficient by far than any personal vehicles. Even if bikes are better than cars, I doubt they want traffic in NYC to start looking like Santo Domingo where everything is a sea of motorbikes interspersed with cars
Here is the definition of the classes from the article:
Class 1 e-bikes use pedal assist up to 20 mph (32 km/h), Class 2 e-bikes can also use a throttle up to 20 mph (32 km/h), and Class 3 e-bikes can provide motor assistance up to 25 mph (40 km/h)
Class 3 does sound more like a motorcycle to me and not like a bike.
Can you build a “class 2” that is only governed to 20mph to get around this? I think these class 3s are the only way the USA will actually adopt the moped.
That’s already what class 2 e-bikes are.
- 1: 20 mph with assist
- 2: 20 mph with throttle
- 3: 28 mph with assist.
i misinterpreted the rule and thought it was throttle up to 28mph. It seems “Councilmember Crystal Hudson has introduced legislation that would prohibit shops from selling or renting Class 3 e-bikes.” would be entirely pointless then, since you can convert them trivially.
I think class three should remain available.
To ride a moped (legally defined, a moped is 50cc or less and no more than 30mph on a flat surface), all you need is a standard driver’s license.
For a bike that goes below that, I don’t see an issue with even an unlicensed person, provided they are driving safely.
I suppose the standard should be a certification or something similar to an ATV/Snowmobile certificate?
That’s weird that New York does that. The CPSC definition for Class 3 goes up to 28, and is honestly not problematic for casual office commutes. Just stick to the breakdown lane, only take the sidewalk (obviously at reduced speed) if the former runs out, and always yield to foot traffic. It’s not that hard.
That being said, I would not be opposed to Class 3 being an 18+ thing. Class 1 and 2 already match the school speed limit of 20, so class 3 could become the natural progression after graduating, unless otherwise barred in their area.
The problem is that suburban sprawl is so spread out that under-18s need the speed to get anywhere in a reasonable time
That’s basically a 50cc scooter.
