Council Member Phil Wong criticizes lack of enforcement and street design

Council Member Wong.

Thank you, Chair.

Much of our...

I had a set of questions, but they were already asked, so I was just going to make a statement.

We have held multiple hearings on e-bikes.

We have introduced legislation on e-bikes.

We have held press conferences, rallies, and written op-eds.

We can keep doing that until the cows come home or until they ride down the bike lane the wrong way.

But none of it means much if the city is reluctant or refuses to enforce the laws already on the books.

My predecessor, Robert Holden, advanced Priscilla's law after Priscilla Locke was killed while legally crossing the street with the light.

The e-bike rider ran a red light, struck her, and tried to flee.

Too often, victims and their families

are left without accountability because these vehicles have no license plates.

Riders cannot be identified.

And enforcement is simply not taken seriously because there's no way to locate them.

I'm also thinking about my constituent, Teresa Valenti.

Who was killed near the Brooklyn Navy Yard by two people riding a souped-up e-bike.

Her death was not only a failure of enforcement, it was also a failure of street design.

In fact, these souped-up kits are still available.

When I checked this morning, you can still go into T-Mobile and buy them.

And we have to talk about how we're going to close that loop because...

Nobody, there's no system in place to stop any bike rider to order these kids and soup up their bikes.

Now she got off, Teresa Valenti got off a bus and was forced to cross a bike lane on the sidewalk just to reach the pedestrian path.

And that is dangerous, nonsensical design.

But DOT approved it.

And in fact, even today, that lane, the bike lane is still there in the same location, waiting for the next accident to happen.

And I can name many other streets with that design in New York City.

So this is a two-part problem.

Weak enforcement against reckless and illegal behavior.

that too often design streets without basic common sense or adequate regard for pedestrian safety.

We do not need another glossy announcement, but we need serious enforcement, real accountability,

safer street design, and a willingness to make clear that pedestrians, not reckless riders, not illegal high-speed devices, and not corporate delivery platforms come first.

Thank you.

Do you have a question, Council Member?

No, that's just a statement.

All right, please keep it down in the chambers if you can.

All right, Council Member Palladino.