NYC to cap e-bike and scooter speeds at 15 mph, Adams says

New York City will now limit e-bike and scooter riders to 15 miles per hour on city streets as part of a broader push by Mayor Eric Adams to rein in the fast-growing and controversial delivery sector.

The mayor also renewed his call for the City Council to act on legislation he first proposed that would create a new Department of Sustainable Delivery. That agency would regulate delivery apps, enforce speed limits and oversee worker safety. The proposal has stalled in the Council without a hearing or vote.

The new speed cap, announced Wednesday, aligns e-bike speeds with existing limits for scooters and matches regulations in cities across the European Union, City Hall said.

“Thankfully, the vast majority of e-bike and stand-up e-scooter users operate their devices safely, but we are using every tool in our safety toolkit and studying worldwide best practices, to ensure every New Yorker is traveling at safe speeds on our streets,” said Ydanis Rodriguez, commissioner of the city Department of Transportation.

It comes amid mounting pressure over safety in shared spaces like bike lanes and parks.

“Enough is enough,” Adams said. “We are implementing a new 15-mile-per-hour speed limit for e-bikes and e-scooters that will make our streets safer.”

In recent months, delivery workers and immigrant advocates have pushed back against what they call heavy-handed NYPD enforcement, especially criminal summonses for traffic infractions.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has defended the policy, saying it’s about safety and fairness. But critics have said the crackdown has created more fear than order, and that true reform needs to come from regulating the apps and infrastructure fueling the boom in deliveries.

Adams’ proposal would give the city oversight powers similar to the Taxi and Limousine Commission, requiring delivery companies to track speeds and routes and ensure workers follow traffic laws.

The administration said the city has already built nearly 90 miles of new protected bike lanes and is exploring more safety upgrades in parks like Central and Prospect. But without legislative action, they said, enforcement can only go so far.