Council Member Robert Holden sharply criticized fellow City Council members on Thursday, May 29 following the Public Safety Executive Budget hearing, accusing them of hypocrisy for voicing concerns about the city’s e-bike crisis while refusing to back proposed legislation he says would directly address the issue.
Holden’s comments were in response to remarks made by Council Members Selvena Brooks-Powers, Yusef Salaam, Diana Ayala, Gale Brewer, Tiffany Cabán and Lincoln Restler, who raised concerns about the dangers posed by illegal or reckless e-bike riders. However, much of their focus centered on the potential impact of enforcement actions—particularly criminal summonses—on immigrant riders, some of whom may face deportation.
“City Hall is full of hypocrites,” said Holden, who represents the District 30 neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Maspeth, Middle Village, Glendale, Elmhurst and Rego Park. “They cry wolf about the dangers of e-bikes, but then oppose the one bill that would address the problem.”
Holden is the lead sponsor of Priscilla’s Law, legislation that would establish clear legal consequences for reckless riders who operate illegal or unregistered e-bikes on city streets. The bill is named after Priscilla Loke, a longtime early childhood educator and assistant director at Chinatown Head Start, who was struck and killed by an illegal e-bike rider while crossing the street in her neighborhood in 2023.
Since its introduction, Priscilla’s Law has gained 28 co-sponsors—a majority of the Council—but remains stalled, lacking support from members who voiced concern during the hearing. Holden argued that if the Council supported his legislation, it would eliminate the need for controversial criminal summonses altogether.
“If they’re truly worried about the risk of deportation from criminal summonses, then they should support my bill,” Holden said. “Instead, they’re captured by special interests and ignoring the safety of everyday New Yorkers.”
At the hearing, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch echoed Holden’s concerns, stating that current enforcement tools are ineffective in holding unlicensed e-bike riders accountable.
“I am eager to work with this Council on a legal framework—a new enforcement paradigm for e-bikes in New York City,” Tisch said in her testimony. “B summonses are virtually meaningless for unlicensed vehicles. The only option we had was to issue C summonses.”
Tisch noted that B summonses are effective for licensed drivers because they can result in points or suspensions. In contrast, without licenses, e-bike operators face no real consequence under that system. She urged the Council to consider new approaches, including licensing requirements or other regulatory changes, to address what she called an unworkable status quo.
The issue of e-bike safety and regulation has gained urgency in recent years amid a surge in both legal and illegal motorized bikes on city streets. The NYPD has recorded a rise in injuries involving pedestrians and e-bike riders, including fatalities. Meanwhile, enforcement remains challenging due to gaps in the current legal framework.
Holden’s Priscilla’s Law is one of several proposals aimed at improving street safety in response to these incidents, but debate continues over how best to balance public safety with concerns about over-policing and the disproportionate impact of criminal penalties on immigrant communities.
The Council’s final budget negotiations are expected to continue through June, with e-bike enforcement likely to remain a flashpoint in broader discussions around street safety and transportation policy.
