Angelos, Abitino’s, and Little Italy Pizza all sent a delegation.
It was a U.N. meeting of midtown east pizza shops, with delivery workers pedaling up to drop off pizzas outside the offices of State Sen. Liz Krueger as part of a stunt put on by advocates to win her support for legislation that would legalize e-bikes across the state.
In recent years, many of New York City’s delivery workers have transitioned from using traditional bicycles to e-bikes, which help them make more deliveries in a shorter period of time without getting tired. Police have confiscated the bikes, and in some cases even arrested their riders.
The fines are steep, too, and advocates like Joe Cutrufo of Transportation Alternatives were asking New Yorkers to call on the senator to support legislation that would permit the use of some e-bikes on the streets and allow e-scooters that can reach 20 mph.
“We’re asking people to grab a slice and to call Senator Krueger and ask her to help advance the legislation in Albany to legalize e-bikes, and to deliver justice for the workers who feed New York,” Cutrufo said.
Advocates ordered up at least 17 pizza pies and chatted with passing workers on e-bikes about tickets they’d gotten, which can cost as much as $500.
“This is about justice for the workers, and people need to realize that there are so many people that demand on-time delivery of our food, yet the city has just completely left the people who deliver our food hung out to dry,” Cutrufo went on to say.
A spokesman for Sen. Krueger, whose district covers parts of midtown east and much of the Upper East Side, said she still had concerns about the e-bike bill.
“She’s concerned about blanket legalization for the whole state, when she feels that different localities, Manhattan in particular, have different needs when it comes to street, sidewalk, and bike lane use,” said spokesman Justin Flagg.
The current state legislative session ends on June 19.
