Was this a public hearing or a screening of "Twelve Angry Men"?
Members of a Ridgewood community board aggressively cross-examined cycling advocates in a meeting on Wednesday at which a slim majority of board members backed a bill that would require all e-bikes to be registered with and licensed by the city — only to then turn around and reject the proven safety measure known as daylighting.
Queens Community Board 5 voted 19 to 15 to support local Council Member Bob Holden's Intro 606, which would task the city Department of Transportation with creating an e-bike registration program complete with new plates. Experts, including those inside the DOT, have argued that registration regime would do nothing to make pedestrians safer — and cost an initial $19 million for the city to set up.
Members of the Ridgewood Rides cycling group had hoped to change minds on the board by pointing out the logistical problems with Holden's bill. Instead, they were subjected to stern cross-examination more akin to a trial than a public hearing, which exist so people can voice their opinions.
"I have a question for the bicycle advocates," board member Michael Kane asked one opponent of Holden's bill. "Why do you guys twitch so much when we suggest a little accountability?"
Holden's bill would mandate DOT to create a system to license and register electric bikes and scooters, including Citi Bikes and, perhaps, mobility devices such as motorized wheelchairs. It has 27 sponsors in the Council as well as the support of mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo.
"There are more e-bikes on the road, that’s for sure, but licensing doesn’t seem like an effective and efficient solution," Ridgewood Rides member Duncan Ballantine said in his testimony to the board. "Asking the DOT to become essentially a DMV just doesn’t seem to make any sense."
But CB5 Chair Vincent Arcuri, who became the leader of that central Queens board back in 1985 — was having none of it, aggressively questioning cycling advocates.
“What is the top speed of an e-bike?” Arcuri twice asked Ballantine — the second time talking over him as he questioned use of cross-examination during public comment, when residents typically share their views unchallenged.
Arcuri's prosecution of the pro-bike position continued as other Ridgewood Rides members tried to share their perspective.
“If we want safer streets, if that’s really our goal, if we’re really concerned about collisions, what we need to be doing is making safer street design," Ridgewood Rides member Tucker Ziegler told the board. "We need to make sure that we have space on the street for this growing e-bike community. We need daylighting, intersections are the most dangerous place."
Another board member, Carol Benvic-Bradley, called out the unusual public comment procedure.
“I have been a board member for two years, I have never seen us get in a debate with people during a public forum. When did this become a debate forum?” Benvic-Bradley asked.
Arcuri then admitted he knew nothing about Intro 606 despite the board's plans to vote on it that very night.
"Just trying to get enough information,” he told Benvic-Bradley. "This is a bill being introduced that I know nothing about. I don’t know if anyone else knows anything about it."
Benvic-Bradley was unimpressed.
"Well it’s our responsibility as board members to do our research and form an opinion about what's on the agenda, not expect those here to share public comment to be experts on all aspects," she replied. "They’re here to share their testimony and not to be subject to debate."
CB5's support for e-bike registration in the name of safety was undercut by the same board's opposition at the same meeting to universal daylighting, which would require the city to ban parking at every intersection in the city to improve driver visibility and protect pedestrians.
“Clearly there is a want and a need to protect pedestrians,” said board member Elizabeth Chen. “I don’t know if the solution is to regulate e-bikes, the problem is much bigger. Isn’t universal daylighting a better solution that can solve a lot of problems in one foul swoop?”
As the discussion continued, even Acuri, who had been so eagerly cross-examining cyclists, started to see the problems with the bill, arguing that a city program doesn’t make sense if other motorized vehicles are licensed at the state level. He also questioned how the bill provides the accountability its supporters claim.
“If it only requires a license plate, what is it doing?” he said, before he voted against supporting the bill.
The E-Vehicle Safety Alliance is pushing for resolutions from all of the community boards, hoping to use any gained momentum to push the Council to bring Holden’s bill to a vote. Bronx CB8 has already passed the EVSA resolution.
