Long Island’s Nassau County is touting a controversial major crackdown on e-bikes and scooters just as New York City is easing its traffic laws on the contraptions.
The county announced earlier this month that it will be banning many of the bikes and scooters, fining their scofflaw riders up to $700 while impounding their vehicles.
“According to Nassau County Miscellaneous Law Title 61 and VTL Article 34, motorized scooters and Class 2 & 3 e-bikes cannot ride on any Nassau County roadway or property,” Nassau County Police announced on Facebook on March 5, referring to the electric bikes, which are equipped with a throttle and reach speeds of up to 28 mph.
“We enforce the law because we care about your safety,” the statement said.
The move occurred days before New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced last week that the Big Apple would be ending its own crackdown and no longer issuing criminal summonses to cyclists for traffic violations, instead treating them like motorists with just tickets.
“By ending criminal summonses for low-level traffic offenses, we’re ensuring cyclists and e-bike riders — including those who deliver our food and groceries — are treated like others on the road,” Mamdani said in a statement.
Nassau County cyclists were incensed over the crackdown affecting them.
“When you search Nassau County e-scooter and e-bike law, none of this comes up,” local Joseph Taylor told The Post, referring to the statute cited by cops.
“It says the rider [must be] 16 or older with a helmet and must follow traffic laws and ride in bike lanes when possible.”
In addition, state law only grants villages and towns — not counties — the authority to regulate their use, according to the law statute itself and the region’s leading e-bike accident lawyer, Daniel Flanzig.
“[Nassau County] is citing a section of the law that is inapplicable,” Flanzig told The Post, insisting that riding Class 2 and 3 e-bikes is totally legal within Nassau County.
“The definition of an e-bike is not open to interpretation, and that’s exactly what they’re doing to enforce this,” Flanzig said.
County officials did not respond to a Post request for comment.
