PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Austin Ferd, Director of Safety and Zero Emission Fleet at a New York City logistics company
5:25:23
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127 sec
Austin Ferd, representing a New York City logistics company, testified against Intro 606, arguing that it is redundant, costly, and ineffective in addressing safety concerns related to e-bikes and other micromobility devices. He emphasized that existing regulations already cover commercial bike operations and that the bill would not address issues with illegal mopeds.
- Highlighted that his company delivered over 4 million packages by cargo bike in NYC this year
- Pointed out failures of similar registration efforts in other cities, including Houston and NYC's pedicab industry
- Expressed concerns about selective enforcement, profiling, and discouragement of cycling among the general public
Austin Ferd
5:25:23
Hello.
5:25:24
My name is Austin Ferd.
5:25:25
I'm the director of safety and zero emission fleet at a New York City logistics company operating electric cargo bikes and light electric vehicles for last mile delivery.
5:25:34
This year, our company employees delivered over 4,000,000 packages by cargo bike in New York City.
5:25:39
We are proud of our commitments to safety, sustainability, and serving New Yorkers.
5:25:43
Intro 606 is a largely redundant bill that will be extremely costly for the city government to implement successfully.
5:25:49
As a commercial bike operation, we comply with DOT requirements to install on our equipment a metal or plastic sign at least 3 inches by 5 inches with the business name and a unique bicycle ID number for each bicycle.
5:26:01
Given that many of the complaints heard today involve commercial cyclists, what does intro 606 provide that this DOT requirement does not?
5:26:07
This bill is further misfocused.
5:26:09
Many of the incidents that have injured the public have involved illegal mopeds and other illegal micro mobility devices.
5:26:14
This bill would neither legalize these devices nor register them and their users would have the same status.
5:26:18
Furthermore, all city bikes, another device cited by the bill's proponents, already have a standardized ID number on them.
5:26:24
This bill is redundant.
5:26:26
Similar registration efforts have been tried in other cities and have failed.
5:26:28
I grew up in Houston, Texas and lived and rode there while bike registration was on the books.
5:26:32
I never had to do this because long ago, the police department said not to enforce it anymore.
5:26:37
We don't have to look far afield for failure either.
5:26:39
Pedicabs have required registration and license plates for over a decade.
5:26:43
The burdens of proper procedure have effectively snuffed out the more legitimate operators and as a post recent coverage illustrates, the landscape today is more lawless than it was before pedicab licensing.
5:26:52
A flurry of news coverage has galvanized the NYPD into partially applying existing laws to police these vehicles.
5:26:59
The negative externalities of intro 606 continue.
5:27:03
This bill would invite selective enforcement in profiling and discourage cycling amongst the general public.
5:27:08
Higher rates of bike riders correlate to a safer road system for our employees and generates the support to construct the bike infrastructure that makes our bikers safer.
5:27:15
Workers comp rates for working cyclists are among the highest rates for non specialty industries and that is entirely due to the unsafe built environment in which they work.
5:27:25
We want to deliver New York City the stuff they need sustainably on bike and do so safely.
5:27:29
Thank you.
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
5:27:30
Thank you.
