For Delivery Workers in New York, a Crackdown on E-Bikes Threatens Livelihood

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration has stepped up enforcement on electric bikes. The NYPD has confiscated about a thousand bikes this year according to reporting from Deepti Hajela for The Washington Post. Mayor de Blasio will compound this enforcement effort with a new law fining businesses $100 for employees who use e-bikes and $200 for subsequent offenses. E-Bike riders can already be fined $500.

Delivery work can be physically demanding, and for workers, many of whom are middle aged, it would simply be impossible to do on a non-electric bike. Those who support the policy say that e-bikes are often driven recklessly, and can be more dangerous than traditional bikes because of how fast they travel. Mayor de Blasio, who has also opposed congestion pricing, shares these views, which are common among car commuters.