Paris, NYC, Tel Aviv in Micromobility Muddle
Cities around the world are being overwhelmed by the arrival of new personal mobility devices.?The mobility wave began with e-scooters and e-bikes, but it is cresting with the onset of skateboards, mopeds, unicycles, hoverboards, and Segways.
Paris made headlines earlier this year when residents voted to ban shared e-scooters – after initially embracing them with new bike lanes and parking areas.?Tel Aviv, too, has embraced micromobility with its own elan – adding dedicated lanes and other accommodations.?(On a recent visit it was clear that not all residents were thrilled and collisions are a daily phenomenon.)
The third alternative to banning or embracing micromobility is to regulate it.?New York City, long silent on e-bike and e-scooter regulation, has stepped forward with the latest vision for micromobility management.
According to a report in the New York Times, the city made its micromobility move as the result of the fire hazard posed by these vehicles and their lithium batteries. ?The report cites 154 fires occurring in New York so far this year with 14 fatalities and 93 injuries.
The rules are sufficiently complex and the penalties sufficiently severe to give pause to any operator looking to enter the business.?Riders will not be penalized, but operators (including online resellers of new and used devices) will be held responsible for meeting new safety standards.
Sorting things out is going to be a challenge for inspectors from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection as well as law enforcement.?Today’s wild west of mobility encompasses licensing, speed restrictions, approved areas of operation, helmeting, and vehicle registration.
There are three classes of e-bikes and three classes of mopeds with related rules and regulations identified by New York: https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/ebikes.shtml
There are also UL certification standards for:
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The New York Times reports that e-bikes that have been modified to go faster than 25 miles per hour are not legal.?“E-scooters, which can be stand-on or have a seat, are legal if they weigh less than 100 pounds” and operate no faster than 15 miles per hour.?Revel’s rental mopeds must be registered with the state and require a license to operate – but not allowed in bike lanes.
Skateboards, unicycles, hoverboards, and Segways remain illegal, according to the NYTimes report.?
“How New York Plans to Regulate E-bikes in the Wake of Deadly Fires” – NYTimes - https://www.nytimes.com/article/ebike-laws-nyc.html?searchResultPosition=1
While residents of Paris appeared to mainly be fed up with the sidewalk clutter and the general rudeness of e-scooter users, New York’s move appears more directly linked to the lithium battery fire hazard which has resulted in some buildings banning the devices from their premises.?What cities like Tel Aviv are beginning to experience is the sidewalk and on-street chaos of privately owned or rented 1-, 2-, and 3-wheeled vehicles proliferating for both private and delivery use.
Tel Aviv is uniquely configured to serve both a youthful and an aging demographic enjoying a seaside location with characteristic pedestrian accommodations.?The onset of e-scooters and e-bikes – including delivery bikes and mopeds – is beginning to threaten the safety of older residents.
Paris was relatively early in accommodating micromobility and is perhaps not surprisingly the first to pull back in the face of backlash.?Tel Aviv is leaning in, but may soon face a retreat of its own.
Should Tel Aviv run up against a pedestrian revolt against micromobility, New York City’s response may serve as a model.?That being said, the complexity of the New York response is worthy of close review by cities everywhere.?We all welcome the green credentials of micromobility, but will want to mitigate the collisions, sidewalk clutter, and fire hazards.
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1 年Its not only pedestrians who are threatened by typical e-scooter users, owner-operated bicycles are much more healthier for the city than "no rules no responsibility" e-scooters.
Principal Analyst for Automotive Market Analysis at TechInsights
1 年I like to add that e-scooters are banned from being taken onboard public transport trains in London. They can only be used on public roads (and "redways" in Milton Keynes). The only e-scooters allowed to be used are those managed by sharing mobility providers on a trial basis. Private ones are not allowed, as authorities want to control the power levels and limit speeding. Provider scooters carry identifiers to enable the reporting of misuse (not wearing helmets, two riding the same scooter, etc), but is rarely enforced. There is still the problem of online purchases of uncertified scooters and chargers with the fire risks associated with them. There ought to be an international standard to prevent battery fires and limit power levels. Then there ought to be regulations on their use, such as a camera onboard to ensure helmet wearing, as well as forcing them to be docked (and not left lying about re: Paris vote to ban them).