Staff Reports
New York’s e-bike mess has a clear fix sitting in Albany — if lawmakers have the stomach to use it. The Legislature just held hearings on electric bikes and scooters, and the New York DMV told lawmakers on the record that it “is ready to implement whatever safety measures you put in place.” That admission removes the usual dodge: there is no technical excuse left, only political will.
DMV says it can run a registration and plate system
The hearing made something plain: the state agency that already issues plates for cars can issue plates for e-bikes. Acting DMV Commissioner Christian Jackstadt now oversees an agency that can build an online system, make rules, and hand out identifiers. All Albany must do is pass the law that tells the DMV to act and funds any start-up costs. Saying “we can’t do it” after the DMV says it will implement the program is political theater — and New Yorkers are tired of the show.
What Priscilla’s Law would actually do
Priscilla’s Law, sponsored in the Assembly by Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar and in the Senate by State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., would require registration and license plates for electric bikes and scooters in cities of one million or more. The idea is simple: if a rider leaves the scene, police can trace a plate. Cameras can identify dangerous riders. The City Council has its own measure too, led by City Council Member Robert Holden, but the legal authority to give DMV the job rests with Albany. Opponents raise real concerns about delivery workers and fees — concerns that can be solved with low fees, exemptions, and a phased rollout. Those fixes are policy choices, not excuses for doing nothing.
Albany can’t punt this to the next round of speeches
City Hall and community leaders have made their case. Even City Council Speaker Julie Menin says the state must act. So what’s stopping Albany? Powerful delivery platforms won’t like new costs. Some lawmakers will use “studies” as a preferred way to delay. But when the DMV testifies it is ready to implement, the only barrier left is political cowardice. If lawmakers care about pedestrian safety and about protecting immigrant workers, they will craft a law that balances accountability with fairness.
What to watch next — and why it matters
Keep an eye on committee calendars in Albany and any DMV implementation plan or cost estimate from the Acting Commissioner. A vote in the transportation committees would move Priscilla’s Law from talk to real policy. Lawmakers should also spell out fee limits, worker protections, and clear enforcement rules so this doesn’t become a paper promise. New Yorkers are ducking e-bikes at crosswalks while Albany debates process. Let’s stop the theater. Pass the law, let DMV do its job, and put plates on these machines so there’s finally accountability on our streets.
