NEW YORK (PIX11) – New York City Mayor Eric Adams is working to establish a new city agency to help address traffic safety concerns regarding delivery workers who use e-bikes, mopeds and cargo bikes.
The Adams administration is in discussions with the New York City Council to create the Department of Sustainable Delivery in response to the rise of e-bikes, mopeds and cargo bikes on streets and sidewalks. The department would establish guidelines to improve public safety involving these modes of delivery transportation.
“...we cannot have mopeds speeding down our sidewalks and forcing people to jump out of the way. We must also protect the drivers and delivery workers who show up for New Yorkers at all times of day and night, all kinds of weather,” Adams said during his State of the City address Wednesday.
Adams said the Department of Sustainable Delivery would consolidate the work that‘s currently being done across multiple city agencies and establish goals and guidelines for the future of delivery in New York City.
E-bikes, mopeds and e-scooters have been involved in roughly 2% of pedestrian fatalities in New York City since 2021, according to the Department of Transportation. The other 98% of pedestrian fatalities involved motor vehicles.
The mayor added that the Department of Sustainable Delivery would also build on the work being done to address the dangers of lithium-ion batteries used by e-bike delivery workers.
“Our administration banned the sale of uncertified e-bike and refurbished batteries, but with the Department of Sustainable Delivery, we will be able to do much more, including educating riders and enforcing safety standards for lithium-ion batteries,” Adams said.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 since 2022. See more of his work here.
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