Christina Hansen testifies on need for enforcement and accountability

All right, guys, it's been a long day.

So my name is Christina Hansen.

I was here not that long ago to talk to you guys.

But I'm here today as a city bike member, as a pedestrian, as somebody who does not own a car, so I'm not here for the car lobby, as I was accused of being earlier, and somebody who owns a horse.

I spend my time in Central Park.

I have, but I rode a city bike down here, so I'm not anti-e-bike.

I've been involved in collisions out here on the Hudson River Greenway with illegal class three e-bikes driven by children.

So I thankfully was not hurt that bad, walked away, told the kid, you better get a helmet and an illegal bike, probably go back to school.

Anyway, congratulations on your historic hearing.

I am glad to see the city council is interested in dealing with this problem.

Congratulations to the e-bike advocates because the fact that we're here now means that we're the same place that we were 100, 120 years ago with cars.

Because this is a new technology.

It's taking over our city.

And that can be a good thing.

I mean, you know, that means that it is changing our culture.

But with that needs the ability to be regulated, to have licenses, insurance, accountability.

You know, we're here hearing a historic 23 bills and regulations.

It should be 24, 25, because none of those bills matter if you can't enforce them.

I heard you guys frustrated today with the administration.

Asking them, are you enforcing the laws that we just passed this year, last year?

And the answer is no, they don't know how.

But the key here for safety is enforcement.

You can't enforce a lot of these laws unless you have a way to hold the operators of these new devices accountable.

I heard wonderful testimony about how e-bikes are liberating people, but they stop.

So I think history can teach us a lot, but it's not complete unless we have the ability to enforce the laws we already have, and that includes Priscilla's law or a resolution from the state if it's the state that needs to do it.

Thank you very much.

You may begin.