DOT’s Proposed 15MPH Speed Cap for E-Bikes Won’t Work, Say Many Critics

For a wide variety of reasons, critics call the proposed e-bike rule unenforceable or inequitable. At the DOT’s first public hearing on the topic, many argued broader reforms are needed instead.

| 28 Jul 2025 | 04:16

New Yorkers weighed in on a new proposed rule pushed by the Adams administration that would cap the speed of e-bikes and e-scooters at 15 miles per hour at the first public hearing on the topic, held on July 14. The proposal, introduced by the Department of Transportation (DOT), is billed as a public safety measure amid growing concerns over crashes involving motorized devices.

But despite the diverse and often contentious views shared at the hearing, one theme echoed across virtually every testimony: As written, the proposed rule won’t work.

“Fifteen miles an hour is not going to be obeyed any more than 25 miles an hour is obeyed by vehicles, right?” said Manhattan resident Seth Jacobson. “These things are not being enforced. We need an easy way to enforce the law.”

From safe-streets advocates and policy analysts to delivery riders and victims’ families, participants challenged whether a speed cap, without any system to enforce it, could meaningfully reduce harm or change behavior.

A key group leading the charge for additional e-bike enforcement was the NYC E-Vehicle Safety Alliance. The co-founder and executive director, Janet Shroeder, said that while she supported the speed-limit cap she emphasized that “Without rider accountability, it will make no difference.”

Most proponents of the new measure included in their testimony that this was not the solution they truly supported. Instead, they expressed support for Priscilla’s Law, a proposed state bill that would require e-bikes and scooters to be registered with the DMV and display license plates.

The bill was named in honor of Priscilla Loke, a 69-year-old school teacher who was struck and killed by an e-bike in Chinatown in 2023.

Loke’s niece, Michelle Jenkins, gave her support for the law named in her aunt’s honor. “I support Priscilla’s Law.” she said. “Enforcing the 15-mile-per-hour limit without plates is performative. You cannot enforce what you cannot identify.”

On the other end of the spectrum, cycling groups raised concerns that the speed cap is targeting the wrong problem and could even make streets less safe for riders.

“This rule is fundamentally misaligned with how our streets actually function,” said Joseph Cohen, the CEO and co-founder of Infinite Machine, a New York-based start-up that says it is building “cutting-edge non-cars for urban transportation.” For Cohen, the real problem is “streets that lack protected bike lanes,” which makes bikers have to compete with both cars and pedestrians. “A slightly faster top speed is not a hazard,” he continued. “It’s a critical safety feature. Being able to move to keep pace with car traffic or maneuver out of a dangerous situation can mean the difference between a close call and a crash.”

Other opponents argued that the policy unfairly targets vulnerable delivery workers while letting their employers off easy. A spokesperson for NYC Comptroller Brad Lander’s office stated that the proposed rule “scapegoats individual workers, while leaving the incentive structure for unsafe riding behavior in place.”

Some also pointed to what they saw as an unfair comparison, where e-bikes would face stricter regulations than cars. “Setting a lower speed limit for an e-bike than for a three-ton Chevy Suburban or Ford Explorer or any other SUV or car or truck makes absolutely no sense,” said Eric McClure, the executive director of StreetsPAC. “This inequity is amplified by the fact that the NYPD is now issuing Class C criminal summonses to people on bikes for the same offenses for which drivers and motor vehicles continue to receive only a traffic ticket.”

Many on both sides were happy to call out just why they thought this bill lacked substance. This is a “political maneuver by the Adams administration rolled out during a competitive Democratic primary to respond to growing public concern without actually doing enforcement,” said one man, who said he was hit by a speeding e-bike a few months ago.

”This is just a political stunt by Adams,” another added, referring to the proposed measure as “purely ink being wasted.”

Indeed, Adams in early June had proposed the 15mph speed limit for e-bikes, electric scooters, and other pedal-assisted commercial bicycles. The measure was initially opposed by Lyft, which owns Citi Bike, until Adams threatened to pull the franchise to operate. Citi Bike accounts for an estimated 40 percent of e-bikes on city streets. Lyft quickly reversed course and agreed to lower the top speed that Citi Bikes can travel only days after Adams proposed it.

“Fifteen miles an hour is not going to be obeyed any more than 25 miles an hour is obeyed by vehicles, right? These things are not being enforced.” — Manhattan resident Seth Jacobson at a public hearing