Mayor Mamdani Holds Press Conference to Make Street Safety Announcement
Zohran Mamdani on NYC Mayor's Office.
Passages
Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I would like to thank my partners in government, the dedicated advocates, and every single person who has fought for the safer streets that New Yorkers deserve. I want to acknowledge our Attorney General, Tish James, who is here and has been a leader in this fight, our DOT Commissioner, Mr. Flynn, our DMO, Julia Kirson, as well as our Corporation Counsel, Steve Banks. Now, today we are here to take an action that is long overdue. Moving to stop the sale and distribution of illegal e-bikes and motorized scooters on New York City streets. Exactly one week ago, Gabriel Nakato was riding a Deep Power QS7 e-bike from Bensonhurst into Manhattan to meet with a career counselor and fill out his summer job applications. The vehicle he was riding is capable of reaching more than 30 miles per hour, a speed that should never be reached in our bike lanes. It is also one that is notoriously difficult to control, especially on sharp turns like the one coming off of the Brooklyn Bridge into lower Manhattan. Here on Center Street, just steps from where we stand today, Gabriel was struck while riding the QS7 by a large SUV. The collision was fatal. He was just 17 years old. I spoke with Gabrielle's mother, Norma, soon after that crash. I know that the despair that she is feeling is unimaginable and that there are no words that can describe the pain of this loss for her, for their family, and for their friends. To them, I grieve alongside you. And yet the companies that sell these vehicles continue to market them to New Yorkers who trust that the product they are purchasing is legal in the city that they call home. Because if it weren't, why would their social media pages be flooded with targeted advertisements? Why would they see their neighbors riding these bikes to work? And why would these vehicles be so easy to buy? The burden of whether or not the bike they buy is safe and legal should not fall on working New Yorkers who are simply looking for a quick and low-cost mode of transportation. It is the responsibility of retailers to only sell the vehicles permissible under New York law in our city. That is why today, our administration, through our corporation council, is sending a cease and desist letter to more than 40 online retailers that have been selling these illegal vehicles These are retailers that include Amazon, Best Buy, Target, Timu, Tevarin, Walmart, Marketplace, Wayfair, Segway, Deepower, and Wilson e-bikes, demanding that they immediately end the sale of prohibited motorized scooters and e-bikes to New York City residents and New York City businesses. We are also requesting that the individuals responsible at these online marketplaces meet with both DOT and NYPD officials, as well as the New York City Law Department, to develop cooperative measures aimed at eliminating the illegal distribution of these vehicles into our city. Now, if these more than 40 companies do not comply and instead choose to continue selling these unlawful scooters and e-bikes, these online retailers risk facing civil penalties of up to $2,000 for each individual infraction. I am grateful for Attorney General James' quick and decisive action in issuing a consumer alert this past Friday, reminding consumers that not all electric vehicles for sale are safe or legal. Yet to address this issue at its root, we need even stronger measures to prevent these illegal vehicles from making it onto our streets in the first place. Going forward, we will work closely with the city council and our partners in Albany, as well as Attorney General James, to explore further legislative avenues that will ensure that only the safest methods of transportation are the ones available to New Yorkers. There is no way around it. Gabrielle should still be with us today. He should be submitting his summer job applications and practicing for an upcoming interview. He should be enjoying his time off with his friends and spending summer evenings with his family. I know there is nothing that will ease the pain of his loss. However, we can still do right by the rest of New York City, and we can still ensure that Gabriel's legacy is one of saving the lives of others as we keep these vehicles off our streets in his name. That is the city we owe to every New Yorker, and that is the city we will deliver. Thank you. I will now pass it over to our partner in this work and so much more, Attorney General Tish James.
SPEAKER_17I want to pass it over to our DOT Commissioner, Mike Flynn.
SPEAKER_17So this is the first step of what is going to be a continued focus when it comes to ensuring that we keep New Yorkers safe. And as you said, that first step is going to be the issuing of cease and desist letters to more than 40 online retailers. And you've heard this from the AG, you've heard this from the DOT commissioner. There are a number of New Yorkers who think that they are buying legal vehicles when they purchase these, because why would they think otherwise? And what we have found is these are some of the largest retailers in the country. and we are going to hold them accountable. They have until August 18th, I believe that's the date, until they have to comply with this. And after that point, it's going to be up to $2,000 per individual infraction. And as we continue to focus on this work, we will let New Yorkers know what the next steps are. For now, this is our focus. I think first and foremost is who is actually selling these kinds of vehicles. We're talking about e-bikes that go beyond the legal limit of speed. We're talking about scooters as well, stand-up scooters that go beyond the legal limits of wattage. And we're also talking about the mopeds that do not have VINs that are actually available to be seen by the naked eye. I don't know, Steve, if you want to add any additional details to that.
SPEAKER_17i think first and foremost we're going to go after those websites and retailers that are willfully selling illegal vehicles to new yorkers it should not have to be up to each new yorker to know every single line of new york city law we know the law very clearly these retailers know the law very clearly and if they don't they have two weeks to learn it before we start to hold them accountable with up to two thousand dollars uh... per individual infraction and again What we are asking them to do is follow the law that has been the law for more than five years. And yet they continue to violate it, not in a marginal way. We're talking about vehicles that can go sometimes more than double the legal limit of the speed. It's not one or two miles over. And they are doing this because they know that there is money to be made. However, as you've heard and seen from the attorney general, from the DOT commissioner, For us here, the most important thing is how to keep people safe, and it means taking action when we're seeing e-bikes that are going close to 40 miles an hour, stand-up scooters that might even be eclipsing 50 miles an hour. These are not things that will keep New Yorkers safe, and we are going to hold those retailers accountable. Yes, how are you?
SPEAKER_17So we are talking about a maximum fine of $2,000 that will be issued up to that amount for each individual infraction. And what we have seen in the past in the issuing of cease and desist letters is that you get immediate compliance for a number of those actors who are then alerted to what the fiscal cost would be of operating outside of the bounds of the law. And then there is the need, as you've alluded to, for regular monitoring of this. I'm going to bring up our corporation counsel to add to that.
SPEAKER_17And I'll just add one thing, Melissa, before you go, which is that sometimes when we are taking these kinds of actions, we're speaking about companies that many of us may not know the names of, companies that may register themselves in a new name every other week. Today, we are speaking about companies like Amazon, Best Buy, Wayfair, some of the largest retailers in the country, and that they have been operating outside of the bounds of the law is something of immense concern to us and to New Yorkers. Thank you. Hi, Mr. Mayor. Hi.
SPEAKER_17If who is complying, the retailers? I mean, first and foremost, that they are not selling vehicles that go beyond the legal limits of speed and wattage. And what we found in some of this advertising, by and large, companies are not informing New Yorkers that these are beyond the legal limits. It's not, here's a way to get around the law. It's here's the quickest way for you to get to where you want to go. And I'm going to pass it over to our DOT commissioner to go into a little bit more detail as to what those limits are, because that is one guideline for New Yorkers. And as you've said, you know, this is a cease and desist period until August 18th. After that point, these companies are going to have to deal with our corporation council. And we also know that this is an issue that has been of immense focus from our attorney general as well.
SPEAKER_17The inspections that we are going to be carrying out are not simply online. They are going to be across all methods of sale. And again, I just want to echo what the DOT commissioner has said. This is not that complicated for these retailers. If they are selling an e-bike that can go faster than 25 miles an hour, that's illegal. If they're selling a stand-up scooter that can go faster than 20 miles an hour, that's illegal. If they are selling a moped that's that does not have a vehicle identification number and a license plate, that is illegal. These are quite straightforward when it comes to the laws, and yet we've seen the willful violation of this, but to your point, there's going to be inspection and accountability no matter what the method of sale is. Hi, Kelly. How are you? Good. How are you? Doing well.
SPEAKER_17I think what we've seen is that once we bring the actions of these kinds of retailers and companies into the sunlight, it becomes far harder for them to defend what they are doing. I'm going to bring up our corporation council to speak a little bit more about the specifics of it.
SPEAKER_17And I want to echo something that our Corporations Council of Banks has just stated earlier, which is that the point of this is not the collection of fines. The point of this is compliance. We want every single retailer to be in compliance. Our dream is that by August 18th, we are not collecting a single fine because every one of these 42 companies is now in compliance. The most important thing here is that New Yorkers are safe. And I can tell you that being on the phone with Gabrielle's mother, the heartbreak that she felt then that she feels now, it's one that no New Yorker should ever have to deal with.
SPEAKER_17I think first and foremost, we are looking at a wide variety of avenues of how to take action on this issue. And that includes working with the council on legislation that has been introduced prior, as well as on the legislation that was recently introduced. We also cannot afford to wait. We cannot afford to wait because we know the consequences of this are fatal for New Yorkers. And what we have seen is that this has been the law for six years. And these companies have willfully been violating that law. What use is a law if it is not being enforced? And what we are going to do now is start to use every tool at our disposal to enforce this law and to ensure that whether you are a company that many of us have never heard of or the companies that we know are the wealthiest in the world, that you will be held accountable to this because New Yorkers' lives are at stake. Thank you.
SPEAKER_17I think the focus of today is tackling the root causes of what has led to the loss of many New Yorkers' lives. When it comes to registration for e-bikers, I do not believe that that would actually improve street safety, and that's not an approach that I believe we should move ahead with. I believe that we need to improve and expand the bike lane network. We need to ensure that every single New Yorker can travel around the city safely, no matter their mode of transit. And that is something that has been part of the conversations I've had with our DOT commissioner from the very beginning of our administration. We want to ensure that every New Yorker can get around the city safely and never have to doubt whether their mode of transit is impacting their safety in that moment.
SPEAKER_17I think the first thing we can do is enforce the laws that have already been passed. And what we're talking about, the different incidents, whether we're talking about Gabrielle or whether we're talking about the Queensborough Bridge, those are vehicles that should not have been on the road as per laws that have been passed years ago. And... I look forward to whatever the city council wants to put forward. We work with them as partners in this. Our question is always, what will keep New Yorkers safe? And right now, the enforcement of these laws, that's our focus because that's something we can do in the next few weeks. We can do it with immediate action. We look forward to seeing what the council puts forward as well. Hi, how are you? Doing well.
SPEAKER_17I was wondering if he was talking about e-bikes. I mean, he's very plugged into New York City these days. Yes. Hi, American. Nice to meet you. Hey, Charlie. How's it going?
SPEAKER_17This is going to be done through active monitoring of these retailers and what they are selling. It's not the question of what you are making an individual purchase of. It's the fact that these are being stocked and sold. And a lot of times we're talking not just about passively stocking these items. We're talking about active advertisement that is targeted to New Yorkers. And You know, this is something that every retailer should know. I would argue that many of them do know it, and they are still operating outside of it because they have not yet seen enforcement. What they're going to see now is enforcement.
SPEAKER_17Well, I'm assuming that's in response to Abdullah Syed's victory yesterday evening. And I think first I'd just like to congratulate Dr. Abdullah Syed on his victory. He ran a campaign where It was best described by his words of money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all. And if those simple commitments and beliefs are what drives Representative Johnson to these kinds of conclusions, I think it shows you how deeply out of touch the Republican Party is with the concerns of working class Americans. Because what we have seen is despite him facing more than $60 million in outside spending, he was able to prevail with a focus on a cost of living crisis and the way in which health care is exceedingly out of reach for those who have helped to make this country what it is.
SPEAKER_17I have had the privilege of speaking to Dr. El-Sayed a few times. What I will say, and this was years ago, once when he came to New York City, he can lift a lot more than I can. And I think that that is, we should give him his respect in that way. I don't think in any way this man is a mini-Mamdani. I also think that what we're talking about is someone who has shunned a light on the importance of public health and healthcare. in our country for years. And I am proud to be part of a movement of politicians and candidates who are looking to put working class Americans back at the heart of our politics. And that's our focus here in New York City. And just from what we're seeing in Michigan, it looks like that's what Michiganders want there to be their focus come November. Can I ask you just one follow-up?
SPEAKER_17Well, I think on your first question, the point of this period is that out of the 8.5 million people who call this city home, the Department of Finance assessed that 17,000 households may be subject to the pied-à-terre surcharge and issued them a you-may-be-subject-to letter. They have until September 18th to appeal that assessment to the Department of Finance. They can do that either directly to the Department of Finance. They can do it by calling 311. They can go into one of the in-person centers in every single one of our five boroughs. And the point of this is to make sure that only properties, secondary homes of non-resident New Yorkers that are worth more than $5 million are the ones that are being subject to this tax. I know there are some New Yorkers who bought their home and put it in a trust, others who bought their home and put it in an LLC, and therefore the city just wants to make sure that this is a primary residence holder. To your second question, the city is one of many parties when it comes to the stewarding of these pensions, and To my knowledge, the law department has come forward and identified this as a mistake that took place over many, many years. And the need for us to be in legal compliance to correct that moving forward, we are going to keep a close eye on it and make sure that we're following up. Thank you. Hi, Mayor. Hey, Henry, how's it going?
SPEAKER_17We are going to continue to do these kinds of inspections because the safety of New Yorkers is paramount. Now, of those 180 inspections that were conducted, there were none that were deemed to be an immediate public safety threat to New Yorkers. However, as you said, there were some that required a partial stop work order, some that required a full stop work order, And what we've also found, because I know in conversations that we've had about this in the past, there have been questions raised as to, is there a specific concern that should be had about office to residential conversions? And in these inspections and in our work assessing the landscape of our city since the issue was raised with the Pfizer building, we have not found a reason to be concerned with those conversions innately.
SPEAKER_17There are going to be more inspections. And I also had the honor, frankly, of welcoming a number of those DOB inspectors and FDNY members to City Hall who went into that building and to thank them for their heroism because it is truly... It is truly a heroic act to go into a building that we all know is structurally unsound and do the work necessary to safeguard it. I think first and foremost, we can add our voices to the fact that Delaney Hall should be closed. That is something that you have heard from a number of elected officials. And yes, you're right that when I was a candidate, I was outside of Delaney Hall after Mayor Baraka was arrested and detained. And This is just one symptom of a federal administration's approach to immigration enforcement that has foregrounded cruelty and inhumanity. And I do believe that ICE should be abolished. I do believe that there should be humanity back at the heart of the way in which our country conducts immigration enforcement. And what we are seeing is that these are not intellectual debates. These are conversations that have fatal consequences if we continue with the kinds of policies that we're seeing the federal government pursue. Doing well. How are you? Did you get a tan? Oh, which one? Great. I apologize.
SPEAKER_17My focus thus far has been on New York City. And what I will tell you is that I know that many New Yorkers were incredibly excited at the result. I tried to stay up until it was called, but then I eventually called it a day. But I do wish him the best.
SPEAKER_17I will leave much of the assessment to pundits. What I will say is that when you are facing $60 million in outside spending, you are facing... almost what feels like surround sound across a state where people are hearing a message about you again and again and again. And to win this race as someone who is not currently holding elected office, it is a testament to what he ran on and also the way he ran the campaign. I think I saw somewhere that he held more than 500 in-person events across the state of Michigan. That's the kind of work it's going to take to ensure that we are winning in November. And I truly kudos to him and to the team that he built around him. I think the message of money out of politics, money in your pocket, Medicare for all is one that even New Yorkers can relate to. Thank you all very much.
SPEAKER_17
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