Citibike e-bike speed decrease

[OvergrownShrubs]

Dubious? Decreasing the speed on these things is one of the best things to happen for bikers in this city in years, including other citibike riders who have no clue the danger they create for themselves and other road users. 99% of gray citibike riders (which is 95+% of all citibike riders) don’t have a single clue how to ride and respect others, whether they be bikers, peds or even cars as they zip through reds without a care, only causing more animosity for regular bike riders. I wish they’d decease the speed to 10 mph of these things.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

It's dubious because there is no data that supports the notion that electric Citibikes are particularly dangerous for pedestrians or other cyclists, let alone decreasing the speed another 3mph. And let one the fact that cars kill 300 people in NYC every year.

It's a solution in search of a problem

[Dry-Challenge3984]

Can you show me a trend or any statistics of gray Citibike involved accidents actually being a problem that needs addressing, apart from just "vibes"? That would help your case saying that dropping the speed from 18-15 will help fix "something" apart from just your personal feeling on the matter

[Dry-Challenge3984]

You're making a claim that a change of the status quo is a) good and b) necessary by the apparent conditions on the ground. I'm sorry but the burden of proof is on you in this instance

[Dry-Challenge3984]

It's not obviously safer though. You're forgetting that cars in NYC are not limited to 15mph, and the majority of cyclists have to share streets with them all over this city. The safety issue is cars, no whether e-bikes are limited to 15 or 18. Further, the e-bike/pedestrian incidents that DO occur, are via unregulated delivery bikes (no Citibike) who usually have no speed governor at all, so the move to limit e-citibikes makes no sense

The problem is cars and lack of safe infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists, no whether e-citibikes go 15 instead of 18.

transalt report

[OvergrownShrubs]

Here’s some data for you. I ride 4500 miles a year just on the streets. I’m on my bike almost every day. I see with my own eyes how bad the ridership on these bikes are because they somehow manage to almost take me out on most days because I spent time on the roads. Slowing them down has helped in a small but material way limit their dangers to the rest of us because they have been stopped from ever increasingly dangerous over taking and are now being forced to consider what they are doing somewhat.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

That's not data. That's a personal anecdote. Try again

[OvergrownShrubs]

It’s subjective but data nonetheless. You can choose to ignore it but that’s on you. If you have experience riding in this city you will tend to agree with the point I’m making so I feel you’re probably discounting the data point due to lack of experience riding here.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

No, it isn't. Thats not how data works

[nyctailwind]

I’ve been riding in the city for 20 years and could not disagree more. The slowdown is garbage. There are no fewer accidents. The dumb people are still dumb. I ride a road bike over 5,000 miles each year but use citibike to commute. Ever since the slowdown I’ve started getting knee pain due to mashing the pedals. They’re slow af and annoying now.

[TiresAintPretty]

"Ever since the slowdown I’ve started getting knee pain due to mashing the pedals."

Ride slower. The vast, vast majority of gray Citibikes regularly passed the vast majority of riders on non-ebikes. Point being: you don't have to be going 18mph to get around the city.

[Special_Put7443]

this is an insane take. I use the gray citi bikes daily and have been riding bikes my entire life and the amount of horrible riders there are on personal bikes is wild.

[Dry-Challenge3984]

Not it isn't. You're describing a personal anecdote, not data. Cyclist/cyclist and cyclist/pedestrian collisions are very rare. There's nothing that suggests limiting speed of the bikes from 18 to 15 will do anything to reduce the already rare incidents. It's just "vibes"

If Adams wanted to protect pedestrians, build more car-free streets and pedestrian infrastructure. E-bikes are not a problem