From article, (As it stands, e-bikes occupy a murky legal space in the state. In New York City, for instance, “throttle e-bikes” that can accelerate and maintain speed based solely on an electric battery with no human pedal input, have been outlawed. They are, however, legal in the rest of the state provided they’re not operated on public roads. The confusion lies in where these e-bikes can be legally operated, and the coalition is focused on expanding those operating restrictions.
The state Department of Motor Vehicles allows for mopeds (which sometimes have pedals) to be registered and operated on public highways, roads and streets -- or anywhere a standard vehicle is allowed to operate, such as in a parking lot. Pedal-assist or throttle e-bikes are currently unable to be registered and operated in such spaces, and riders that do so are subject to arrest, according to DMV rules.
Most models of e-bikes will run $2,500 to $5,000, but those who want bikes with more features or durability should expect to spend in the $10,000 range.
Regardless of what the law currently says or will say in the future, there’s no denying that sales of e-bikes have increased in the region.
Freeman’s Bridge Sports owner Richard Himmelwright previously told the newspaper that his store sold four e-bikes in all of 2016. By late-April of this year he had already sold 12, and was in the process of ordering more to meet anticipated demand.)
Me, "This is silly. China has many more bikes on its roads of all types: Pedal, Pedal Assist, and throttle. How can we be afraid of accidents in a city of 8 million (with dedicated bike lanes) compared to a country of a billion (with none?). If even a fraction of a billion bike riders in China can get along with people and cars in that country, I don't see why our state and city can't. As long as they follow the rules of the road, for regular bike riding, there should not be any problems."
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