Int. No. 1131
By Council Members Brooks-Powers, Brewer, Won, Menin, Krishnan, Louis, Ossé, Williams, Avilés and Hudson
A Local Law in relation to the establishment of a task force to study options for making street design and infrastructure safer in consideration of increased use of electric bicycles and related collisions
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this local law, the following terms have the following meanings:
Agency. The term “agency” means a city, county, borough, or other office, department, division, bureau, board or commission, or a corporation, institution or agency of government, the expenses of which are paid in whole or in part from the city treasury.
City. The term “city” means the city of New York.
Electric bicycle. The term “electric bicycle” means a bicycle with electric assist as defined in section 102-c of the vehicle and traffic law.
Task force. The term “task force” means the task force established by this local law.
§ 2. Task force established. There is hereby established a task force to be known as the electric bicycle safety task force.
§ 3. Duties. The task force shall study options for making street design and infrastructure safer for pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and operators of electric bicycles in consideration of the increased use of electric bicycles and related collisions in the city. The task force shall make recommendations for legislation and policy in furtherance of that objective. Those recommendations shall take into account the following:
a. Legislation and policy implemented by the city before the effective date of this local law to address the increased use of electric bicycles and related collisions;
b. The street design and infrastructure of the locations of frequent collisions involving electric bicycles and related collisions;
c. Legislation and policy implemented by other municipalities to address an increased use of electric bicycles and related collisions in those municipalities;
d. The anticipated effects of the recommendations on stakeholders, in particular pedestrians with disabilities and individuals who use electric bicycles as a primary mode of transportation for any commercial purpose;
e. The data available on collisions involving electric bicycles and any gaps in data collection and transparency;
f. The projected costs to the city and other stakeholders of implementing any recommendations; and
g. Any other considerations the task force deems relevant.
§ 4. Membership. a. The task force shall be composed of the following members:
1. The deputy mayor who oversees the department of transportation or such deputy mayor’s designee, who shall serve as chair;
2. The commissioner of transportation or such commissioner’s designee;
3. One member appointed by the mayor who is not employed by any agency; and
4. Three members appointed by the speaker of the council.
b. The mayor may invite officers and representatives of relevant federal, state, and local agencies and authorities to participate in the work of the task force.
c. All appointments required by this section shall be made no later than 90 days after the effective date of this local law.
d. Each member of the task force shall serve at the pleasure of the officer who appointed the member. In the event of a vacancy on the task force, a successor shall be appointed in the same manner as the original appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term. All members of the task force shall serve without compensation.
§ 5. Meetings. a. The chair shall convene the first meeting of the task force no later than 30 days after the last member has been appointed, except that where not all members of the task force have been appointed within the time specified in section four, the chair shall convene the first meeting of the task force within 10 days of the appointment of a quorum.
b. The task force may invite experts and stakeholders to attend its meetings and to provide testimony and information relevant to its duties.
c. The task force shall meet no less than once each quarter to carry out the duties described in section three.
d. The meeting requirement of subdivision c shall be suspended when the task force submits its report as required by section six.
§ 6. Report. a. No later than 270 days after the effective date of this local law, the task force shall submit a report to the mayor and the speaker of the council setting forth its recommendations for legislation and policy relating to making street design and infrastructure safer for pedestrians, motorists, cyclists, and operators of electric bicycles in consideration of the increased use of electric bicycles and related collisions in the city. The report shall include a summary of information the task force considered in formulating its recommendations. If the members of the task force do not all agree on a recommendation, the report shall note whether it is a recommendation of a majority or minority of the members.
b. The commissioner of transportation shall publish the task force’s report electronically on the website of the department of transportation no later than 10 days after its submission to the mayor and the speaker of the council.
§ 7. Agency support. Each agency affected by this local law shall provide appropriate staff and resources to support the work of such agency related to the task force.
§ 8. Termination. The task force shall terminate 180 days after the date on which it submits its report, as required by section six.
§ 9. Effective date. This local law takes effect immediately.
JGP/MC
LS #17767
12/2/2024 12:38 PM