Brooklyn Lawmakers Urge Lyft for Age Verification on City Bikes
Lawmakers in Brooklyn are calling on Lyft to implement an age verification system. This move aims to stop individuals under 16 from renting city bikes or creating accounts.
“We need to ensure that riders under 16 have to set up accounts, which would restrict immediate access to one of the fleet’s 20,000 e-bikes,” said Councillor Justin Brannan in a letter to Lyft’s CEO, David Risher. “It’s crucial that we protect our youngest riders.”
Brannan explained in an interview that his concern grew after hearing from parents about young riders under 16 using e-bikes.
“Parents have reached out, expressing worry for their children. This could turn into a real disaster, and it’s entirely preventable,” he noted in his correspondence.
He also stated that if Lyft doesn’t voluntarily take action, he would consider proposing legislation requiring accountability in the event of injuries or fatalities involving riders who created accounts before turning 14.
Currently, the City Bike Rental Agreement stipulates that riders must be at least 16 years old.
However, there’s no mechanism to verify a rider’s age. According to Brannan, anyone with a mobile phone, an email, or a payment method can set up a new Citi bike account in a matter of seconds.
“Riders just input their birth dates. I mean, there’s nothing stopping a 14-year-old or even someone younger from quickly renting a bike that can go 15 miles per hour,” the councillor added.
Brannan pointed out that this lack of age verification contradicts Lyft’s stringent screening measures for its automotive ride-sharing services.
“This is an issue that can be addressed,” he said. “To guarantee the safety of car riders, Lyft has the capability to check the credentials of countless drivers on its platform.”
In other regions, such as Mexico City, where Lyft has bike-sharing networks, riders must verify their age by scanning their IDs when setting up new accounts. Similarly, Lime, which offers scooter rentals in some NYC areas, requires riders over 18 to scan their IDs and starts new users in “Beginner Mode,” which limits speed and imposes nighttime curfews.
Brannan referenced alarming statistics about the rise in e-bike accidents. In 2023, 76% of cycling fatalities in New York City involved e-bikes, a dramatic increase from previous years.
He recalled an incident where a minor riding a city bike collided with another cyclist, leading to hospitalization. Media reports indicated no police action was taken since the rider was under 18.
In another case, a 16-year-old boy sued after injuring himself in a crash while riding an e-bike.
“Lyft must take steps to close dangerous gaps in safety. It’s become routine for teenagers in NYC to rent e-bikes and ride at high speeds without helmets, often lacking basic riding skills,” Brannan urged.
“I was a teenager once, and, if I’m being honest, my judgment was pretty questionable back then. It’s easy to feel invincible at that age. While things have shifted since I was a kid, teenagers aren’t any less prone to risky behaviors,” he remarked.
Brannan also urged Lyft to share safety data regarding accidents involving traditional bikes and e-bikes, broken down by age, gender, and other demographics.
He believes Lyft could implement a “quick fix” to improve safety using tools already at their disposal.
A Lyft representative confirmed they received and are examining Brannan’s letter. Meanwhile, city representatives had no comments on the matter, though a meeting about e-bike safety issues was held recently with Lyft.
