New York City will enforce a 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes, e-scooters, and pedal-assist commercial bicycles starting October 24, Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday. The new regulation sets e-bike speeds to match stand-up e-scooters and follows international standards, including the EU’s 15 mph limit for bike lanes. MayorAdams emphasized that the limit is intended to keep “New Yorkers safe while continuing to keep our city moving.”
The speed limit aims to improve street safety as cycling and e-scooter use rise across the city. Currently, e-bikes can travel between 20 and 25 mph depending on their class, and citywide reports show 623 collisions involving e-bikes so far this year. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez noted that expanded protected bike lanes and education programs are helping riders travel at safer speeds.
The Adams administration also created the Department of Sustainable Delivery earlier this year to monitor app-based deliveries and hold companies accountable for unsafe practices. Riders have just over a month to adjust to the new limit, which already applies to electric Citi Bikes. Officials said enforcement measures will be announced closer to the rule’s effective date.
