New York Daily News

E-bikes off streets until at least Sept.

- Clayton Guse

Citi Bike said Monday that its easy-riding electric bikes, which have been linked to rider injuries, will be off the streets until at least September.

In April, Lyft, the bikesharin­g network’s owner, pulled all 1,000 of its ebikes in service after numerous riders were injured by a braking issue that sent them flying over the handlebars. The company also pulled its ebikes from its networks in Washington, D.C., and the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Daily News has found 10 New Yorkers who racked up medical expenses after being hurt on the hard-stopping bikes. Several have said they intend to sue.

Three weeks before the e-bikes were pulled, a fire sparked by an e-bike battery-charging station broke out at Citi Bike’s maintenanc­e hub in Brooklyn.

Lyft spokeswoma­n Julie Wood said Citi Bike has enjoyed near-record levels of ridership recently, despite e-bike issues. “We’re confident that putting rider safety first is always the right decision,” Wood said. “We’re working hard to design a world-class pedal-assist bike that we know our riders will love.”

Lyft did not respond to a request for informatio­n about any plans for an electric pedal-assist bike, including where it would be designed and manufactur­ed. The previous ebikes were made in Asia.

Wood said Lyft remains committed to investing $100 million into expanding the Citi Bike network, and is nearly ready to announce more neighborho­ods where it will be setting up docks.

Transporta­tion Department spokesman Scott Gastel said the city is monitoring Lyft as it works to roll out new pedal-assist e-bikes.

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