Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC to cap e-bike and scooter speeds at 15 mph, Adams says
By
Phil Corso
Published Jun 4, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
By
Phil Corso
Published Jun 4, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York City will now limit e-bike and scooter riders to 15 miles per hour on city streets as part of a broader push by Mayor Eric Adams to rein in the fast-growing and controversial delivery sector.
The mayor also renewed his call for the City Council to act on legislation he first proposed that would create a new Department of Sustainable Delivery. That agency would regulate delivery apps, enforce speed limits and oversee worker safety. The proposal has stalled in the Council without a hearing or vote.
The new speed cap, announced Wednesday, aligns e-bike speeds with existing limits for scooters and matches regulations in cities across the European Union, City Hall said.
“Thankfully, the vast majority of e-bike and stand-up e-scooter users operate their devices safely, but we are using every tool in our safety toolkit and studying worldwide best practices, to ensure every New Yorker is traveling at safe speeds on our streets,” said Ydanis Rodriguez, commissioner of the city Department of Transportation.
It comes amid mounting pressure over safety in shared spaces like bike lanes and parks.
“Enough is enough,” Adams said. “We are implementing a new 15-mile-per-hour speed limit for e-bikes and e-scooters that will make our streets safer.”
In recent months, delivery workers and immigrant advocates have pushed back against what they call heavy-handed NYPD enforcement, especially criminal summonses for traffic infractions.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has defended the policy, saying it’s about safety and fairness. But critics have said the crackdown has created more fear than order, and that true reform needs to come from regulating the apps and infrastructure fueling the boom in deliveries.
Adams’ proposal would give the city oversight powers similar to the Taxi and Limousine Commission, requiring delivery companies to track speeds and routes and ensure workers follow traffic laws.
The administration said the city has already built nearly 90 miles of new protected bike lanes and is exploring more safety upgrades in parks like Central and Prospect. But without legislative action, they said, enforcement can only go so far.
Tagged
Politics
public safety
transportation
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 4:15 p.m. ET
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
News
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
The Garden State now requires that corn masa dough and flour made and sold in the state be fortified with folic acid.
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
NYC nor’easter dries up after weather service reports minor flooding
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .