NEW YORK (BRAIN) — A state senator and assemblymember introduced a bill that would prohibit e-moto sales in the state, define them, and prevent brick-and-mortar and online retailers from advertising them as legal. It's the latest legislation in the U.S. aimed at eliminating e-motos from city streets.
Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, chair of the Senate Committee on Internet and Technology, and Assemblymember Diana Moreno introduced S.10700 on Wednesday. It addresses e-motos, which reach speeds greater than 20 mph, are not pedal-powered, and not legal to ride on New York streets or bike lanes.
The bill is in response to a rise in crashes, including one on the Queensboro Bridge in May when two people died in a head-on collision after an e-moto struck a bicycle. The fatal crash occurred in Gonzalez and Moreno's districts.
"Following dozens of tragic accidents and barriers to micromobility, as well as hundreds of advocates and community members who've demanded better, we have made real progress in protected bike lanes and accessibility," Gonzalez said. "This bill is the next step in ensuring that our streets are safe. By banning the sale of illegal e-motos and focusing on the point-of-sale issues, we're bringing safety and transparency to our neighbors, while stopping deceptive business practices."
The legislation would define "e-motos" as vehicles that go over 20 mph that are not defined in the Vehicle Traffic Law as e-bikes or e-scooters, and are not required to be licensed by the DMV.
It also would:
- Create a legal definition for "electric off-highway motorcycles" and require them to be sold by licensed ATV dealers.
- Require retailers and online retailers to provide a warning that e-motos and electric off-highway motorcycles are not legal to ride on New York State roads.
Penalties range from not more than $250 for the first offense and not more than $1,000 for each subsequent offense.
"Dangerous, illegal e-motos can reach speeds of over 50 mph," Moreno said. "The recent deaths involving them confirm they don't belong on New York streets. Many of our neighbors depend on e-bikes and other micromobility devices to get around or for their livelihoods, and they deserve to be safe while using them."
In February, California introduced a bill that would better differentiate e-bikes from e-motos and mopeds in response to safety concerns there. A month later, a bi-partisan group in Congress introduced the Safe SPEEDS Act, which would create federal standards for low-speed electric bikes and e-motos. PeopleForBikes said that bill is "a significant step forward in addressing the increased use of currently unregulated products like electric dirt bikes across the U.S." In July, Hawaii signed into law an e-mobility bill that defines and bans e-motos in certain locations while regulating low-speed e-bikes the same as non-electric bikes.
