E-Bikes, E-Scooters Allowed In Prospect Park Starting Tuesday

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, NY — Grab a Citi Bike and head over to Prospect Park — electric bikes and scooters are now allowed for a limited time on bike paths across NYC.

Starting Tuesday, electric bikes and scooters will be allowed to ride around Prospect Park Loop and the greenways on Eastern and Ocean parkways — where manual bikes were already allowed to zip.

Not all motorized riders can roam through NYC's parks — faster vehicles like motorcycles or heavy mopeds still can't enter Brooklyn's Backyard. The pilot includes bikes and scooters riding up to 25 miles per hour and scooters up to 15 miles per hour.

First announced in March, the program is only a pilot, and the allowance will only last through May 31, 2024, according to NYC's Parks department.

City representatives celebrated the move as a win for bike safety.

"In 1894, the nation’s first dedicated bike path opened on Ocean Parkway — today we’re proud to start a new chapter in our legacy of supporting cycling,” NYC Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue said in a news release.

The green-light for riders comes a year after Brooklyn electeds petitioned the Parks department to allow electric bikes into Prospect Park — especially as they faced expensive tickets, according to amNY.

"We acknowledge the safety concerns that Prospect Park faces regarding e-bikes that led to the ban. However, e-bikes are legal to ride on New York City streets and make moving around the city more accessible," electeds, including City Council Member Crystal Hudson, said in the letter.

And the police change will have a massive effect on Brooklynites, the electeds argued. Advocates with Transportation Alternatives agreed the program was a major win for accessibility and street safety.

"E-bike users include delivery workers who keep us fed, families on cargo bikes, individuals recovering from surgery, older adults, people who live in areas with fewer public transit options, those who want to limit their carbon footprint by not driving cars, and so many more," electeds wrote in the letter.

But road sharing between electric and manual two-wheelers has also caused concern among NYC residents. 311 complaints about cycling, scootering and in-line skating boomed in 2022, as advocates and pedestrians said sharing the road has become complicated with rule-breaking riders and lagging infrastructure, according to The City.

Battery safety has also taken the fore in conversations about electric bikes and scooters in NYC — by June, lithium-ion batteries from electric bikes and vehicles had sparked 92 fires and caused 9 deaths, rapidly outpacing 2021 and 2022 combined, the New York Post reported. On Tuesday, a faulty e-bike battery sparked a fire in Lower Manhattan that killed four people.

NYC Parks representatives said electric riders were expected not to use pedestrian paths and use safe riding practices.

"As parks are shared spaces, Parks expects all park users to be considerate of others, and operate their bikes, e-bikes, e-scooters, roller skates, or any other legal devices in a safe manner — especially on drives and greenways, which see a variety of uses and speeds," department representatives said in a news release.