Council mulls e-scooters, bikes

Zipping around the city is about to get a whole lot easier.

The City Council is introducing legislation Wednesday that will legalize electric scooters and bikes — delighting those who support having the souped-up machines on city streets but raising concerns among critics who fear they are dangerous.

The Council will consider four bills, including legislation that will permit electric-motor-propelled two-wheelers to go up to 15 mph — and allow companies to set up scootershare programs under a city pilot program.

There will also be legislation to legalize e-bikes, which are popular with restaurant delivery workers. The bills will create two classes of bicycles with motors under 750 watts that can reach speeds up to 20 mph.

Another bill would create a program for low-income New Yorkers to convert throttle bikes into pedal-assist rides.

“The numbers have been increasing,” Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, the transportation committee chairman, told The News. “There’s a demand.”

Mayor de Blasio has so far nixed throttle-powered ebikes on city streets, but he’s given the OK for pedal-assist bikes.