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A month ago, Jordan Wyckoff flew an electric Citi Bike to work in Brooklyn when he braked sharply to avoid a minivan making a gap in the bike lane. But when he braked, the front wheel got stuck, sending Mr. Wyckoff over the handlebars and onto the sidewalk.
Dominik Glodzik suffered the same fate when he attempted to brake in front of a stop sign in Astoria, Queens, about two months ago.
William Turton returned to the front of an electric Citi Bike trying to brake before an intersection on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
In recent months, dozens of motorcyclists were injured while driving on Citi Bikes, prompting the company to remove approximately 1,000 e-bikes from New York City streets due to safety concerns. brakes. Lyft, owner of Citi Bike, took similar precautions with its other bike sharing services in Washington and San Francisco.
"We recently received a small number of reports from riders who found stronger braking force than expected on the front wheel," said the company. said in a statement on its website. "As a precaution, we are proactively removing pedals for the moment. We know that this disappoints many people who like the current experience, but reliability and safety above all else. "
Lyft said she was working with her suppliers to understand the problem, while working on a new electric bike model that will be available soon. Meanwhile, standard bicycles will be installed to replace the pedal-assist bikes, the company said, noting that she was not expecting a break in service.
Citi Bike was expecting to have 4,000 e-bikes on the street in June. The bikes first arrived in New York in August, after the city approved new rules for electric bikes. The engine on the bikes, which require a rider to pedal to activate, can reach a top speed of about 30 km / h, said a spokeswoman for Lyft. The city continues to ban throttle-controlled bicycles, which are preferred by deliverymen and can travel more than 20 miles at the time.
In November 2018, Lyft, which started trading two weeks ago at a global valuation of more than $ 24 billion, bought Motivate, the largest self-service bicycle company in the United States.
Motivate operates Capital Bikeshare in Washington, Ford GoBike in San Francisco, among other companies across the country. A spokeswoman for Lyft said that e-bikes were only available in New York, Washington, and San Francisco.
"The safety of New Yorkers is D.O.T's top priority," said Scott Gastel, spokesman for the New York City Department of Transportation, in a statement. "We hope Lyft will maintain a safe and fully operational fleet with sufficient service. We will monitor the file as we search for the cause of this brake problem. "
Citi Bike, which arrived in New York in 2013, has become an increasingly popular means of transportation, with more than 145,000 members. On Sunday, frequent users of e-bikes expressed disappointment with their withdrawal. Even some injured riders reported using e-bikes after an accident.
"Honestly, it's tragic," Turton said, despite his visit to Brooklyn two weeks ago. "I sympathize with my friends who are also electric bike enthusiasts."
Turton said electric bikes have cut his commute time in half.
Mr. Turton thought that the accident in which he was involved was his fault until he received an email from Citi Bike on Sunday morning in which he was informed that the company was suspending the bicycles electric because of brake problems.
Marco Conner, Acting Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, a bicycle advocacy organization, commended Lyft for taking a proactive step to address potential safety issues before deaths occur. Nevertheless, he added that he was eager for secure electric bicycles to be returned to the streets in the near future.
"E-bikes have been proven to replace car journeys. In New York, where the average journey lasts about 3 km, self-service bicycles and e-bikes are a great alternative to replace these short trips, "he said. "When you decide to go on a bike trip instead of a car, you do not put your New York compatriots at risk."
Follow Tyler Pager on Twitter: @tylerpager.
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