Q&A
Council Member Farías questions DOT on e-bike registration and impact on delivery workers
1:52:18
·
3 min
Council Member Amanda Farías inquires about the implementation costs of Intro 606, which calls for city-level e-bike registration, and expresses concerns about the potential disproportionate impact on low-wage delivery workers. DOT officials respond, emphasizing the need for accountability from all parties involved, including app companies.
- DOT Assistant Commissioner Will Carry stresses the importance of holding everyone accountable, including e-bike owners, delivery workers, and app companies.
- Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez acknowledges the need for diverse transportation options and praises Council Member Farías for her leadership in improving transportation in her district.
- The discussion highlights the challenge of balancing street safety with the needs of workers who rely on e-bikes for their livelihoods.
Amanda Farías
1:52:18
Thank you, majority rep and chair.
1:52:21
I just have a couple questions, and if they've been answered, on the time that I stepped away, you can let me know.
1:52:25
I can always watch back our hearing.
1:52:28
Intro 606 calls for ebike registration on the city level.
1:52:32
Currently, the state DMV is the only entity responsible for the registration and licensing of vehicles, and the city does not have an administrative infrastructure to do so currently.
1:52:42
Can you guys speak a little bit about what would the costs, staffing requirements, administrative needs involved?
1:52:48
It was already requested.
1:52:49
Okay.
1:52:50
And then sorry.
1:52:52
The chair just let me know you folks already answered that.
1:52:55
And then the just asking around, the rise of mobility app users in in the delivery industry, I think for a lot of us has fueled reliance on ebikes and mopeds.
1:53:11
And among that, there's a large population of low wage workers that are using that, this mode of transportation to do their work.
1:53:20
Do we believe that of requirement to license and register individual ebikes would further burden or disproportionately impact delivery workers?
1:53:29
And is it fair or effective to target individual workers while failing to hold companies responsible for shoot safety impacts on the micro mobility issue?
Will Carry
1:53:42
Thank you, council member, for the question.
1:53:45
As we talk about accountability today, I think, one of our guiding, values is that we need to hold everyone accountable.
1:53:53
And that, includes not only folks who own their own e bikes or e scooters, but also folks who work, and also the entities that employ, or contract with, those delivery workers, the the main app companies and recognizing the role that they play in incentivizing unsafe, riding behavior.
1:54:15
So, yeah.
1:54:16
I think it it's something in our proposals in the commissioner's testimony, that as we advance accountability, we need to do so fairly.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
1:54:26
Okay.
1:54:26
I mean, I think we should
Amanda Farías
1:54:29
I'm hoping that we can get to a place where we're talking about accountability, but also ensuring that there are factors that folks are needing to use micro mobility efforts to use for work.
1:54:42
I mean, there's a a large priority from this council to make sure people are being treated fairly in their workplace on top of that's out of your responsibility, but on top of making sure our streets are safe and people can pedestrians and cyclists and everyone in between, can utilize the roadways effectively.
1:55:02
So I'm hoping after today's hearing, there's room for discussion around what we can do to to use interagency or interdepartmental efforts to to lean towards safety for everyone in the city.
Ydanis Rodriguez
1:55:14
Absolutely.
1:55:15
And thank you, majority leader, because we can say that you have bring fresh air when it came to looking at improving transportation in your district.
1:55:26
You know, since you took office, like, you've been a great partner.
1:55:29
It doesn't mean that we cannot look at area where we can do better.
1:55:33
But it is so critical also to have voices and members in the council who understand that the future of the city is about creating different option as people move around.
1:55:43
So thank you for your leadership.