Sparks are gonna fly!

Electrified City Council members pledged Tuesday to unveil nearly 20 measures combating dangerous e-bikes across the Big Apple — an effort that faces an uncertain future as Mayor Zohran Mamdani backpedals on enforcement.

The still-in-the-works proposed bills run the gamut from bans on certain e-bikes to tweaking commercial bicycle safety laws.

Council Speaker Julie Menin argued the city’s laws aren’t being properly enforced and said the 17 planned bills will be paired with a major oversight hearing next month.

Speaker Julie Menin said City Council would hold an oversight hearing next month and will conduct a “comprehensive review” on how to address the scourge of e-bikes in the city. William Farrington for The NY Post

“Just as we all share the city, we all share the roads and the responsibility to use them responsibly,” she said. “That’s why we at the City Council are launching a comprehensive legislative review of e-bike and e-scooter safety in September.

“We already, let’s be real, have existing laws in place to regulate the use of e-bikes, but it’s vital that they are enforced fully, properly, and effectively. And in light of the latest statistics, we believe that our city agencies can do a better job of ensuring that.”

A male on an e-bike was fatally struck by an SUV at Centre Street and Chambers Street, in the bike lane exit from the Brooklyn Bridge, on July 29, 2026. William Farrington for The NY Post

E-bikes and electric scooters have become a growing safety scourge on New York City’s streets, with more than 500 collisions involving e-bikes unfolding this year alone – a 32% increase from the same point in 2025, officials said. 

The collisions included a horrific crash along the Queensboro Bridge during May that killed a stand-up electric scooter rider and a cyclist. Just last week, a 17-year-old boy died after he rammed his e-bike into an SUV near City Hall.

Another recent crash involving an e-bike rider in Central Park left a jogger in a coma.

“My sister was healthy, 43-years-old, jogging in the park twice a day sometimes, and now she’s been in a hospital bed for going on four weeks,” said the jogger’s sister Jessica Selano, who spoke in support of lawmakers’ e-bike measures. “Doesn’t really remember her name most of the time, or who we are. Has to have several operations. It’s going to be a long road, very hard.” 

Tuesday’s renewed push is part of the council’s package of bills that have been introduced this year to start chipping away at dangerous e-bike riders.

“This legislative package will draw clear lines, helping ensure the companies who profit from dangerous speeds are held accountable, the fast, illegal devices come off our streets, and the legal ones are safer,” Councilman Shaun Abreu said. Robert Miller

Lawmakers are expected to introduce a number of more bills in the coming weeks to tackle slow e-bikes with infrastructure changes, insurance requirements and enforcement.

The proposed bills include:

• A requirement that third-party delivery apps register with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, giving the city more oversight and enforcement tools when it comes to out-of-control delivery drivers. The bill is sponsored by Councilwoman Lynn Schulman (D-Queens).
• Another bill sponsored by Councilwoman Gale Brewer (D-Manhattan) would require the apps to collect detailed info on their drivers and track them around the city.
• Brewer also backed a bill calling to increase penalties for leaving the scene on an e-scooter, and adds e-bikes to the law.
• Councilwoman Crystal Hudson pushed a bill to prohibit the sale and rental of Class Three bicycles with electric assist, establishing civil penalties up to $2,000.
• Lefty Councilman Lincoln Restler (D-Brooklyn) proposed requiring all third-party food delivery services to verify that the mopeds used by workers are properly registered.

The push, however, could run into trouble with Mamdani’s administration.

The mayor abruptly ended the NYPD’s practice of issuing criminal summonses to e-bikers and cyclists for traffic offenses, in part over concerns that immigrants could end up being deported.

When asked about the Council’s proposed laws Tuesday, Mamdani said he’d review them once they’re submitted. He then offered a meandering bit of word salad that seemed to signal he was more concerned about cracking down on illegal vehicles.

“My primary focus is addressing what is already illegal and ensuring consumers are not misled into purchasing non-compliant vehicles online believing they are lawful to ride,” he said. “It is difficult for New Yorkers to navigate what is legal versus illegal when unsafe vehicles are readily available for purchase (online). Our goal is to ensure clear public awareness regarding what is safe and legal to operate.”