Mayor Eric Adams and DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez have announced new regulations intended to establish oversight of delivery app companies and address street safety. According to the Mayor’s Office, the rules will require companies to register delivery workers with the Department of Transportation, provide safety training and equipment, and assign unique identification numbers and ID cards to each worker.
"Our administration is committed to creating safer, more sustainable streets for everyone from delivery workers to pedestrians to cyclists to drivers," Mayor Adams said in a press release, emphasizing the city’s focus on street safety across all user groups. The new rules require delivery workers to be assigned unique identification numbers and to wear vests or other reflective clothing provided by their employers, making it easier to enforce regulations and monitor unsafe practices encouraged by app-based delivery systems.
Amid delays by the city’s legislative body, First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro emphasized the need for administrative measures. "In the absence of legislation to address these public safety concerns, we are stepping up to help safeguard the lives of these delivery workers and everyday New Yorkers endangered by unsafe delivery conditions," Mastro told the Mayor's office. The administration continues to call on the City Council to pass broader legislation aimed at regulating delivery app practices.
Efforts to reduce dangerous delivery practices include setting a speed limit of 15 miles per hour for e-bikes and e-scooters—a policy influenced by sustainable transportation leaders such as the Netherlands and Belgium, designed to standardize speeds across various e-mobility devices. Additionally, the DOT introduced wider bike lanes, public e-bike charging stations, and a trade-in program launched this spring to replace illegal mopeds and uncertified e-bikes with approved, fire-safe models for delivery workers.
Local lawmakers, including City Councilmember Bob Holden, view these initiatives as an important initial effort to tackle the challenges posed by e-bikes, while emphasizing the need for more comprehensive legislation to achieve full accountability. Community members such as Rabbi Michael S. Miller, who has personally experienced an e-bike accident, have commended Mayor Adams for taking strong measures to address an industry that often prioritizes speed over safety, putting both delivery workers and pedestrians at risk.
