EVG reader Garrett Rosso shared this photo yesterday from First Avenue near 13th Street, where someone mounted a "No Motor Vehicles" sign facing this northbound bike lane.
Per Garrett: "Citizenry resort to posting their own signs since electeds leave transportation alternatives largely lawless & unregulated."
We spotted another sign on First Avenue just past First Street. There are likely more. (Let us know if you spot any elsewhere.)
There is confusion between legal e-bikes (electrified devices with pedals) and mopeds, many of which are illegal and need to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles and issued license plates.
As they put it:
"Certainly, New Yorkers are confused about all the new motorized devices that are filling our roadways (and, infuriatingly, our bike lanes), which have become a Wild West of chaotic interactions."
And...
All the two-wheeled motorized devices on the market today are potentially far safer to vulnerable road users than the four-wheeled, 3,000- to 5,000-pound conveyances they seek to supplant. But it doesn't feel that way right now because users of illegal mopeds are often speeding through bike lanes, surprising pedestrians with their speed. Of course moped riders are choosing the bike lane — it’s the only place where they feel safe from the true behemoth on the roads: cars and trucks.
E-scooters — defined by the city as having handlebars and a floorboard or seat, and powered by electric and/or a person — are allowed in NYC.
• You must not operate an e-scooter in excess of 15 MPH.
• E-scooters may be ridden in bike lanes and on streets with speed limits no greater than 30 MPH.
• Do not ride e-scooters on sidewalks.
Back to the signage... yes — the mopeds and various motorcycles need to get out of the bike lanes.
