As of October 24, e-bikes, pedal-assist bikes, and e-scooters are limited to speeds of 15 mph or less.
First, there is a bit of confusion as to what an e-scooter is. I thought a Vespa (mini-motorcycle) was considered a scooter. They are referred to as scooters, and there are electric versions of those. But NOPE. Those are mopeds and are not regulated to the 15 mph limit. Their speed limit depends upon their class and can range 20 mph–40 mph. These mopeds are not allowed to ride in bike lanes — but you’d never know that by the amount of mopeds I’ve seen travelling in bike lanes.
Then, traditional bikes are also not limited to 15 mph. Experienced cyclists can make those go around 30 mph. The NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) chose not to regulate these bikes due to their lighter weight.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) will enforce the new law. However, Mayor Eric Adams stressed, “As New Yorkers adjust to this new law, our focus will be on education first and enforcement second — this includes installing new signage in key cycling corridors and issuing warnings to first time offenders. To be clear, this isn’t about criminalization; it’s about creating safer, fairer conditions for all New Yorkers.”
NYC DOT and NYPD are also conducting on-the-ground outreach to raise awareness among e-bike riders. Additionally, this outreach includes safety messaging deployed on LinkNYC kiosks across the city and push notifications via NotifyNYC by email and text. Educational materials are also being provided to major app and delivery worker organizations to ensure delivery workers are informed of the change.
This new law came too late for Terri Valenti, a 60-year-old woman who was killed by an e-bike that was illegal to ride in NYC. This tragedy happened on October 6 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The Greenline 