Friday Headlines: Wrong Island Edition

Nassau County banned the use of Class 2 and Class 3 e-bikes and e-scooters yesterday, but took some liberties along the way.

While banning the use of the higher speed e-bikes and e-scooters, Nassau County cited existing county and state law: Nassau County Miscellaneous Law Title 61 and state Vehicle and Traffic Law Article 34.

But the county law cited by police doesn’t even have the word e-bike in it, and was passed to limit ATV use in 2006, following the death of 12-year-old Levittown resident Mark Sattler in an upstate New York ATV crash.

The state law they reference is the 2020 legislation that legalized and defined New York’s current class system for e-bikes, which again, are not e-scooters.

Class I e-bikes have an electric assist that is only activated by pedaling and have a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. Class II e-bikes have an electric motor that can be controlled with a throttle rather than pedaling and have a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour. Class III e-bikes are strictly pedal-assist and have a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour.

A recurring issue the e-bike community is finding is that illegal e-motos, which are essentially electric motorcycles that reach speeds much higher than legal e-bikes, pose more risk to pedestrians, and many officials incorrectly lump them in with legal, regulated e-bikes.

Nassau County may be playing fast and loose with definitions of e-bikes and e-scooters, but state law does give them some rights to regulate e-bike use. They can prohibit e-bike riders from using sidewalks in areas where it could be potentially dangerous for pedestrians, like downtown districts with high foot traffic. It can also limit Class 3 e-bikes to roads and bike lanes.

But by treating e-bikes as e-scooters, Nassau County could be operating in conflict with state law because its ordinance directly contradicts New York’s definitions and regulations for e-bikes.

Nassau County’s announcement comes as state lawmakers consider more regulations for e-bikes due to safety concerns.

More news:

• As he tries to hold on to his Manhattan seat, Rep. Dan Goldman has been answering for his wife and campaign treasurer’s social media activity, which some have flagged as Islamophobic. (The New York Times)
• Gov. Hochul isn’t frustrated by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s attempts to pressure her into a tax increase on the wealthy. (amNY)
• His administration is feeling bullish that the state will hear his calls for a larger share of funding as it faces budget gaps and an ambitious set of priorities from the new mayor. (The Daily News)
• Trump Border Czar Tom Homan was seen meeting with lawmakers in Albany ahead of a meeting with Hochul today. (X)
• A Brooklyn state lawmaker wants to take age out of the equation when insurance companies set rates. (The Staten Island Advance)
• Justin Timberlake’s attorneys have temporarily blocked the release of his DWI arrest footage. (Newsday)
• A Spring Valley man who drove drunk and killed a 4-year-old girl was sentenced to 12 years in prison. (The Journal News)
• The Town and Village of Wappinger are applying for a Community Development Block Grant to improve pedestrian safety in the village’s historic downtown. (Mid-Hudson News)
• Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino and state Sen. Robert Smullen are at risk of making a hash of what should be a safe seat for Republicans. In the 21st Congressional District, Chris Churchill writes, their chaotic primary could hand Democrats an opening. (The Times Union)
• The state’s Public Service Commission could roll back emissions goals without the state Legislature’s approval as Hochul attempts to weaken New York’s climate laws. A plurality of Democratic state lawmakers oppose the measure. (The Times Union, State of Politics)
• A key interstate link has been completed in Syracuse as the I-81 viaduct removal continues. (The Syracuse Post-Standard)
• The Ithaca Common Council voted to end the city’s contract with Flock Safety amid concerns the license plate reader company allows immigration enforcement to access its data. (WSKG)
• The Erie County GOP is moving forward with a new candidate in the 61st state Senate District race. (BTPM)