New E-Bike Public Education Campaign

A prototype wider bike lane installed on Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. Credit: NYC DOT

“Get Smart Before You Start” campaign promotes the safe use of e-bikes

City implementing multi-pronged approach to traffic safety through better street design, public education, and increased enforcement

As traditional bike fatalities reach historic lows, DOT data shows rising e-bike fatalities, including a growing number of deadly ‘solo collisions’ not involving another vehicle

Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez today launched “Get Smart Before You Start,” a new multi-platform marketing campaign to educate New Yorkers on how to safely operate e-bikes. The campaign will work in tandem with innovative street redesigns and targeted enforcement to reduce injuries and fatalities. With nearly six percent of NYC adults reporting that they ride an e-bike or e-scooter once a week or more, the new campaign will use compelling images and instructive audio to inform users how to properly accelerate, brake, and operate an e-bike at an appropriate speed. The campaign includes advertising on TV, radio, print and digital news outlets, as well as on social media, in subway ads, and on LinkNYC kiosks. (See the campaign in English and Spanish.) In addition to advertising, DOT’s Safety Education and Outreach Unit will conduct direct community education to help newer riders know what to expect when they operate an e-bike.

Last year, NYC DOT installed a record 31.9 miles of protected bike lanes and installed the first “double-wide” bike lanes to better accommodate the increasing number of cyclists on our streets. Bike ridership reached an all-time high last year, and the agency is committed to both improving infrastructure to better accommodate e-bike users and expanding enforcement efforts against the most dangerous behaviors on the road. The million-dollar campaign is part of NYC DOT’s $280 million Vision Zero expense budget for the next fiscal year and the agency’s $7.7 billion 10-year capital plan for Vision Zero-related projects.

“Our streets must be safe for everyone — pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike,” said Mayor Adams. “E-bikes are a great way for New Yorkers to get around, but we must ensure that people riding them can do so safely. That’s why we’re launching this campaign as a part of our broader efforts to make our streets safer and adapt to the new ways our streets are being used. We’re using all the tools in our toolbox to keep New Yorkers safe, whether they’re on two feet, two wheels, or four.”

Building on the success of past Vision Zero campaigns, this is the first campaign in Vision Zero history to focus solely on e-bikes, which have seen a surge in popularity in recent years. The “Get Smart Before You Start” campaign follows a data-driven approach, with a creative concept based on comprehensive market research and guided by NYC DOT crash data showing the vast majority – 76 percent – of cycling fatalities in 2023 involved e-bikes, even as traditional bike fatalities reached an all-time low and protected bike lane miles reached an all-time high. Last year also saw a record number of “single-bike” fatal crashes involving e-bikes where no other moving vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist was involved. 

By targeting newer or less experienced riders, the ads aim to shift the culture around biking and promote safe practices. The campaign will be multi-lingual – English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Bangla, and Creole — and will be targeted to zip codes with the highest number of e-bike injuries and crashes. 

IMPROVING E-BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE

The event announcing the campaign was held along 10th Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, where DOT last year installed a new “double-wide” protected bicycle lane designed to accommodate the growth in cycling and e-mobility. NYC DOT is working to improve bike lane designs and charging availability to better accommodate e-bikes and promote safe behavior. The agency has implemented wider bike lane designs on Manhattan’s Third, Ninth and Tenth avenues, with plans to widen the Second Avenue bike lane this year. Wider bike lanes can better accommodate cyclists of different speeds and provide reliable and predictable space for e-bike users on the street. They also can create a high comfort cycling experience for riders of all abilities. 

NYC DOT also recently launched a six-month pilot program to test public e-bike charging infrastructure among delivery workers. Part of the Adams Administration’s “Charge Safe, Ride Safe” initiative, the pilot includes five locations and more than 100 charging points. The pilot will inform NYC DOT and sister agencies’ efforts to expand safe and affordable e-battery charging to all New Yorkers.

BETTER ENFORCEMENT

NYC DOT has consistently advocated at the state level for the authority to expand its automated enforcement programs. In 2022, NYC DOT successfully worked with Albany legislators to expand its speed camera program to operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The expansion led to a drop in injuries crashes, and an average of 30% reduction in speeding during the hours when the cameras previously were not allowed to operate: on nights and weekends. 

This session, the agency is working with state lawmakers to both renew and expand its red light camera program and crack down on the few, incredibly reckless drivers who are repeatedly caught running red lights. 

NYC DOT is also working with its partners at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to expand bus-mounted camera enforcement to combat double parking and blocked bike lanes.

ABOUT VISION ZERO

With eight of the 10 safest years on New York City streets occurring during the Vision Zero era, this life-saving progress is thanks to the city’s holistic approach to safety. In 2023, NYC DOT installed a record number of protected bike lane miles— the first time the agency surpassed 30 miles in a calendar year. As part of the administration’s commitment to equity, 2023’s totals also included a record number of protected bike lanes in the Bronx. The agency finished the year with more than 10 miles of new protected bike lanes in the borough—a 66 percent increase over the city’s next highest annual mileage in the Bronx. Through public events across the five boroughs, the agency also distributed nearly 22,000 bicycle helmets and nearly 9,000 bicycle lights. Additionally, the Adams Administration fulfilled its commitment to harden a total of 20 miles of existing protected bike lanes in 2022 and 2023.