A coalition of 20 organizations that range from advocates for the environment, transportation, local government and business urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign a measure that would pave the way for municipalities to allow electric bikes and scooters on their streets.
The effort, led by the New York League of Conservation Voters, comes as the devices have become ubiquitous on some city streets.
The groups pointed to increased traffic, especially in New York City, which would be partially alleviated by allowing alternative forms of transportation. At the same time, the legislation would benefit delivery people who rely on the speed and efficiency of e-bikes and scooters.
“E-scooter share programs have been successful around the country, where they have been very successful in addressing last-mile transportation problems, where people may be too far from the nearest public transportation to travel on foot so they instead rely on for-hire vehicles, personal cars, or forgo public transportation altogether,” the letter states.
“E-scooters have demonstrated success in closing the last mile and displacing car trips in cities where they are legal.”
Addressing the concerns of some elected officials, the bill before the governor does not allow shared e-scooter programs to operate in Manhattan and allows local governments to enact tougher regulations if deemed appropriate.
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