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Did you know that the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation currently bans the use of electric vehicles on park drives and greenways? That’s all about to change, though: Mayor Eric Adams just unveiled a pilot program set to go into effect sometime this summer that will effectively lift the ban and allow folks to use e-bikes inside city parks.
Dubbed "Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City’s Electric Micromobility Action Plan," the program is really aimed at promoting safe e-vehicle usage by incentivizing it, educating the public about it and advocating for the implementation of new federal regulations mostly concerning the lithium-ion batteries that power the modes of transportation.
"We are supercharging safety for all of our e-bikes and e-scooter users," the mayor said during an official press conference. "These are convenient transportation options for New Yorkers, but faulty and illegal devices are making their way into our homes and streets, causing fires and putting lives at risk."
As part of the plan, the city will install a number of outdoor e-vehicle storage and charging solutions at Housing Authority complexes in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. Similar units will also set be set up at various hubs reserved for delivery workers.
This isn't a new effort on behalf of Adams, who actually signed five separate bills in the past few months aimed at regulating the matter. Among the new laws in place is one prohibiting the sale of e-vehicles that don't meet safety standards, a ban on re-used lithium-ion batteries and a new requirement directed at the local fire department to develop a campaign and matching reports meant to familiarize New Yorkers with the risks associated with the batteries.
As a reminder, the pilot program will only be a trial, for now. Officials will eventually analyze the results to figure out what sorts of guidelines to implement moving forward.