September 28, 2025 - NYC Mayor Eric Adams plans to institute a 15mph/24kph speed limit on e-bikes citywide amid growing concern over safety. In Europe, e-bikes are limited to 25kph.

“I have heard, over and over again, from New Yorkers about how their safety — and the safety of their children — has been put at risk due to speeding e-bikes and e-scooters,” Adams said in a statement issued on June 4.

In NYC most e-bikes are limited to 20mph/32kph, but Class 3 e-bikes are allowed to travel up to 25mph/40kph on New York City’s streets and bike lanes. City law does not require riders to wear helmets, unless an e-bike is being ridden for commercial purposes, like delivery work, or is one of the faster Class 3 e-bikes.

Lyft, which runs NYC’s Citi Bike public bike share system and was allowing up to 18mph/29kph as required by the city’s Department of Transportation, has lowered the maximum speed of its e-bikes to 15mph.