PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Virginia Ryan, 12-year-old bicyclist, on e-bike safety concerns
4:58:54
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127 sec
Virginia Ryan, a 12-year-old bicyclist, testifies about the dangers of e-bikes for children and pedestrians in New York City. She shares personal experiences of near-accidents and advocates for stricter e-bike regulations to improve safety.
- Highlights the unique vulnerabilities of children to e-bike accidents due to their height and reduced mobility from heavy backpacks
- Describes specific incidents where e-bikes nearly caused accidents, including running red lights and riding on sidewalks
- Calls for e-bike riders to obey traffic rules and urges the passage of Intro 606 (Priscilla's law) to enhance safety measures
Virginia Ryan
4:58:54
Hi.
4:58:55
I'm Virginia Ryan, a 12 year old bicyclist since 7th grade.
4:59:00
This year, I was allowed to walk to school by myself, with my little sister.
4:59:06
Over the course of the school year, I've been almost run over by multiple ebikes several
UNKNOWN
4:59:13
times.
Virginia Ryan
4:59:13
Children are in more danger than others because we have disadvantages which adults generally do not have.
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First off, we are shorter.
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Ebikes don't really bother to look at who's in their path.
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And when they do, people don't really look down at the little kids in their path.
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Additionally, kids like myself, generally have very heavy backpacks, which means that we can't dodge the bikes very, easily.
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So we can be hit.
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So as well as being a kid, I'm a bicyclist, as I said.
4:59:51
Whenever an ebike passes by me, I feel scared.
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This is because I know, as a cyclist, that with one twist in our handlebars, they could eat silly slam right into me.
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On regular bike, it's it's dangerous enough.
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But with an ebike, the force of your engine could literally kill me whether I'm off my bike or on it.
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Another problem with e bikes is that they run led red lights.
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Once when I was walking home from school with my mom and sister, we were going to walk across the street when suddenly a pack of e bikes ran the red light and almost killed us.
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Another time, we had just gone off of a bus when an e bike whizzed past us on the sidewalk and actually brushed past my sister.
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Another step and she would be dead instead of bruised.
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Whenever I am walking to school without adults, I feel afraid for my life.
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Not just because of the fear of it, that they might run me over, but also from the knowledge I have as being raised as a bicyclist on the streets of New York.
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I wish that Vic would obey the rules of traffic, just like how I have to do to make New York a safer place for everyone.
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Please pass Priscilla's law intro 606.
5:00:59
Thank you for listening to me.
