NYC is capping E-Bike speeds. Here's why I'm okay with that.

A little slower, but a lot safer.

New York City recently announced a new rule: starting August 1st all e-bikes will have a speed limit of 15mph, down from the existing 20mph cap. While this applies broadly to both shared and privately owned e-bikes, the most immediate impact will be on shared e-bikes like Citi Bikes, since their speed limits are controlled directly through software in the bike. That means the thousands of gray e-bikes zipping around NYC will soon be just a little bit slower. And as someone who has ridden more than my fair share of these bikes—I have some thoughts.

May, 5th 2022: My first time riding a gray Citi Bike.

The Gray Citi Bike Era

First, some background on the gray e-bikes. Lyft launched these in 2022, marketing them as machines that make you “feel like a superhero”. And honestly? They delivered. These bikes are smooth, sturdy, and speedy. It’s no surprise over 70% of all Citi Bike rides happen on these gray e-bikes.

But Mayor Adams— and many other New Yorkers— have felt that while “feeling like a superhero” may be fun, it’s not always safe for the streets:

“I have heard, over and over again, from New Yorkers about how their safety — and the safety of their children — has been put at risk due to speeding e-bikes and e-scooters… so we are implementing a new 15-mile-per-hour speed limit.” - Mayor Adams

Thus, the 15mph cap was born.

Strangely, I agree with this.

Don’t get me wrong. I love going fast on a bike. Ripping down Times Square on an e-bike is one of my favorite NYC pastimes. But at the same time, I’m not up in arms about this speed limit, because most e-bike riders won’t even notice the change.

The Time Difference Is…Kinda Negligible

Let’s break it down with illustrative math:

Even if you go from 20mph (previous Citi Bike cap) to 15mph (new Citi Bike cap), you’re adding just 3 minutes to a 3-mile ride. That’s a traffic light cycle, so, not really a crisis.

And most people aren’t riding 20mph the whole ride anyway. We’d need some bike computers to scientifically measure the impact, but after slowing for lights, pedestrians, delivery trucks, etc., the actual time cost is negligible.

If No One’s Hitting Max Speed, Why Lower It?

To me, this law isn’t really about speed. It’s about culture. Over the years, e-bike riders have gotten a little too fast and a little too invincible.

We weave through pedestrians, roll through reds, and generally don’t stop unless we’re legitimately about to be hit. E-bike riders act like pedestrians (we bend the rules)… but travel closer to the speeds of vehicles. That combo can make walking in NYC feel unpredictable, and even dangerous.

So much that it is kind of hard to go to NYC without almost getting hit by an e-bike. It’s basically a rite of passage. Most of the time, no one gets hurt. But over time, those near misses erode trust in the street. Pedestrians start making way for e-bike riders, which only encourages them to keep going too fast.

The Vulnerability Hierarchy is Getting Blurry

Cities work when the most vulnerable people— usually pedestrians— are prioritized. That’s why cars are regulated most heavily, why we have speed limits, and why we get frustrated when someone parks in the crosswalk.

But e-bikes sit in a weird gray zone (pun intended). They’re not cars, but in NYC you can probably go faster on an e-bike than in a car. And because NYC is so pedestrian-centered, e-bikes have become the king of the street: as fast as cars, as nimble as people.

I’m excited that e-bikes have grown to be a dominant form of transportation in NYC. They’re my preferred method. But we need to start holding e-bike riders to a higher standard—and slowing them down is part of that.

Arguments Against the Speed Cap

There are a few reasonable criticisms to this policy:

The first is that many delivery riders rely on e-bikes for their livelihood, and speed does matter when your job is to deliver food as fast as you can. There is concern that capping speeds could hurt productivity and reduce earnings for these delivery riders.

The second is to question whether we are solving the right problem. Why are we so quick to regulate the one form of transportation that gets people where they need to go quickly, doesn’t kill thousands of Americans every year, and is eco-friendly?

These are both fair points. But I still support the speed cap because it’s an easy way to encourage shared responsibility. It reminds e-bike riders that they are part of a larger urban ecosystem, not above it.

If Any City Can Make This Work, It’s NYC

To their credit, NYC isn’t just slowing e-bikes down and calling it a day. They’ve invested heavily in cycling infrastructure that makes trips faster without needed to hit max speed. One example: the “green wave”, a 2-mile stretch of 3rd Ave that lets riders hit 35 green lights in a row if they maintain 15mph.

So really, we’re being rewarded for following this new speed limit. Almost like they planned for this.

Final Musings

All in all, capping e-bike speeds isn’t catastrophic. It’s just a small tweak that adds a few more minutes to your ride, and a little more peace to the street. And as my favorite economist says, life is all about trade-offs. Sometimes you need to sacrifice a little speed for a lot of safety.

So long as NYC continues to build great infrastructure and treat e-bikes as central to the city’s transportation future, I’m totally cool with this.