Deliver Justice Coalition Condemns Mayor de Blasio's Comments About Delivery Workers

Advocates call on state legislature to legalize e-bikes

Statement of the Deliver Justice Coalition in response to inaccurate statements about e-bikes by Mayor Bill de Blasio on the Brian Lehrer Show: 

“This morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio stoked fear of immigrant delivery workers on e-bikes on the Brian Lehrer show, and belittled the burdens of the occupation of these hard-working New Yorkers. The inaccuracies he is spreading are reckless, and frighteningly targeted at a vulnerable immigrant population. These are the facts: Delivery workers in New York City, a largely immigrant population, rely on e-bikes. They are underpaid and face untold risk to make well-below minimum wage salaries. No one has ever been killed by an e-bike in New York City. According to the NYPD, of the 45,775 injurious traffic crashes in 2018, just 31 involved e-bikes. Last year, 11,115 pedestrians were injured in traffic crashes with cars and trucks, while e-bike riders injured just nine. For Mayor de Blasio to devote any portion of his radio broadcast time to the targeted harassment of low-income immigrants is worrisome; for him to be so swayed by anecdotes in the face of his own police department’s data is outright dangerous and inexcusable. We call upon the State Legislature to pass legislation this session legalizing e-bikes.”

The Deliver Justice Coalition includes Make the Road New York, Asian American Federation, Biking Public Project, Legal Aid Society, and Transportation Alternatives.