Traffic & Transit
Wash Heights Pols Introduce Legislation For Stronger Moped Safety
Council Member Rodriguez and Congressman Espaillat will hold a news conference at noon Thursday to discuss moped regulations.
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Two elected officials in Washington Heights are joining forces on Thursday to announce new legislation that will add better regulations around moped vehicles in New York City.
Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, Chairman of the Transportation Committee, will hold a news conference alongside Congressmen Adriano Espaillat, to discuss their push to make mopeds safer.
The conversation around moped safety comes after Revel scooters shut down its service in New York City at the end of July after three fatal crashes in 10 days.
Find out what's happening in Washington Heights-Inwoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The proposed legislation would require the Department of Transportation to establish procedures by which shared moped organizations can apply for approval to operate shared moped fleets in New York City.
A shared moped system is one where electric scooters are made available for short term rental.
Find out what's happening in Washington Heights-Inwoodfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Additionally, the bill seeks to prohibit any unauthorized operation of shared moped fleets, and impound any unauthorized vehicles.
Rodriguez, who represents Washington Heights and Inwood, released a statement on the day Revel shut down NYC operations about possible actions that could be taken to make the method of transportation safer.
"These safety measures could come in the form of increased moped requirements, traffic enforcement, and or public service announcements," Rodriguez said in a news release.
On the other hand, Espaillat, who also represents Washington Heights, was one of the first elected officials to call for Revel scooters' suspension.
"There should be a concerted effort by the city, with the input of key community stakeholders, to ensure the safety of revel users and others on our streets before the company restores operations in our city," Espaillat tweeted.
The news conference on Thursday will take place at 96 Wadsworth Terrace in Washington Heights, which is the location of the most recent moped deadly crash.
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