From Axios:
Cities, states, and major companies are racing to give people incentives to switch to electric bikes for their work commute or gadding about town — experiments they hope will reduce car traffic and improve people’s health.
Given all of the stupid schemes that politicians in my native New York City come up with, I consider it a mild miracle that we are not among the jurisdictions to have subsidized e-bike purchases (although I suppose the e-bikes in the Citi Bike program are probably worse than subsidies). While New York City car drivers are not great at following traffic laws, bikers (especially electric bikers) are uniquely prone to treat traffic lights (and stop signs) and one-way street signs as suggestions and sidewalks as super-speedways. As bad as the shanty towns (“outdoor dining“) are, bikes are even worse. Here at least, bikes are fundamentally incompatible with pedestrians. E-bikes should not be subsidized, they should be prohibited.
(Lest I leave out other problems, scooters (especially electric ones), skateboards, and these bizarre one-wheel contraptions that people stand and ride on are also menaces.)
More from Axios:
And there’s been record movement at the state level, with five — Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Vermont — passing or renewing e-bike incentive programs, per advocacy group PeopleForBikes.
Rather than express my surprise that New York has not yet joined the direct subsidy movement, I will bite my tounge as to not tempt fate.