Flynn responds on e-bike tragedy and illegal high-speed devices

Yeah, thank you so much for the question, Council Member.

And, you know, I want to start by saying yesterday's crash was a tragedy, and our hearts are with the victims, their families and loved ones.

You know, it's tough, too, because...

Pretty recently, we were celebrating the opening of the South Outer Roadway on the bridge that separated pedestrians and cyclists.

And, you know, to be clear, we do see that as a major step forward in safety for those cycling over the bridge.

But nevertheless, we clearly have work to do.

I know the NYPD investigation is ongoing, but based on the facts as we understand them, one of the riders was using a stand-up.

e-scooter capable of going over 50 miles an hour, which is very much illegal in New York City.

So, you know, that I think it really underscores and we hear it and there's a lot of confusion, even myself sometimes, like there's so many different kinds of devices.

Some are legal, some are not.

Are they pedal assist?

Are they throttle?

Stand up, sit down, all of that, different classes.

To me, what it underscores is that the highest speed

devices are not appropriate for New York City streets.

And by and large, our laws reflect that.

The question is, how do we get them off our streets?

Because again, the stand-up scooter involved yesterday, it wasn't legal to begin with.

So, you know, we work closely with NYPD and we have a good partnership, but clearly it underscores that as these devices proliferate, we really have even more work to do to get them off of our streets.

That's educating consumers, businesses, but also just confiscating them.

Yes, and if this budget is an issue, please talk to the finance chair of this committee.

How can we help?

Because we just don't want to see any more of these fatalities, and it's very unfortunate for we to even talk about this again.

Absolutely.

We appreciate that.

Do I have time for one more question?

Okay, I'll do round two.

Thank you.

Okay, perfect.

Councilmember Epstein, followed by Councilmember Marano on Zoom.