New York cyclists are decrying the impending arrival of 500-pound electric bikes that cruise the Big Apple’s bike paths at just over 30 miles per hour.
The latter claim that these delivery vehicles will be so large that they could kill passers-by, as the New York Post reported.
These cargo four-wheelers are being introduced in the metropolis by the New York Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of a redesign aimed at increasing the dimensions permitted for delivery by electric bike and thus reducing CO2 emissions.
“[Les plus gros vélos] will help New Yorkers get the things they need while reducing carbon emissions and traffic congestion – and eliminating unsafe trucks [des] Streets,” Mayor Eric Adams said earlier this year.
But this week, authorities learned that the models tested by UPS pose dangers to cyclists by encroaching on bike paths.
“It doesn’t seem to make much sense to allocate walking and bike lanes – designed to protect vulnerable users – to such large vehicles,” said Christine Berthet, co-founder of the Clinton Hell’s Kitchen Chelsea Coalition for Pedestrian Safety.
“It looks ridiculous on a sidewalk,” Ms. Berthet said Thursday. “It’s like putting a car on the sidewalk. Everyone is already very, very annoyed because there are too many cyclists, e-bikes, mopeds – everything – on the sidewalk, which scares pedestrians. How will this help? She added.