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If you’ve ever felt an e-bike whizz past you at speeds that felt closer to the FDR Drive than a bike lane, take note: New York City is about to hit the brakes. Starting October 24, 2025, a new rule caps e-bikes, e-scooters and pedal-assist commercial bicycles at 15 miles per hour across the five boroughs.
The change was published this week in the City Record and comes after months of debate about how to rein in the city’s fastest growing (and sometimes most controversial) mode of transport. Mayor Eric Adams previewed the move in June, framing it as a way to set “clear, consistent rules” after a surge in complaints about speeding riders in crowded streets.
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Until now, legal top speeds depended on the class of bike—typically between 20 and 25 mph. For riders used to flying, that’s going to feel like a major downshift. “This new 15 mph speed limit for e-bikes is about keeping New Yorkers safe while continuing to keep our city moving,” Adams said in a statement.
The numbers paint a complicated picture. So far this year, the NYPD has logged 623 collisions involving e-bikes, up from 455 in the same period last year. Still, cars remain the far bigger problem: More than 12,000 car crashes were reported citywide this year, compared with just over 3,200 involving traditional bicycles.
The Department of Transportation held a public hearing in July that drew nearly 900 comments. Some residents recounted near-misses and injuries involving fast-moving e-bikes; others warned the rules could unfairly hit delivery workers, who depend on speed to make a living. DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the city is looking at best practices from abroad: “We are using every tool and studying worldwide best practices to ensure every New Yorker is traveling at safe speeds on our streets.”
If the new cap sounds familiar, that’s because it already applies to the city’s electric Citi Bikes, which were throttled to 15 mph earlier this summer. Similar limits exist in the European Union, where bike lanes are governed by a standard of roughly 15 mph.
Enforcement begins October 24—so e-bikers have just under a month to recalibrate. Consider it a speed bump on the road to safer streets.