Electric scooters sweep the country. New York does not say so fast.

The devices have recently been legalized in New Jersey, where they have already invaded the streets of Hoboken, on the other side of the Hudson River. But it seems that electric scooters probably do not arrive so soon in New York.

New York executives are reluctant to change the law and fear that scooters will be too dangerous, especially in an increasingly crowded Manhattan, where cars, pedestrians and cyclists are already fighting for a limited spot in the street.

Corey Johnson, president of the City Council of Mexico City, unfortunately gave up helping the cause. He rented a Lime scooter on vacation in April and immediately "took his face" leaving him covered with black grime on the street and taking care of some scratches.

For scooters to go down the streets of New York, the state legislature and city council should probably approve new rules – a difficult task when leaders are already fighting over other thorny issues such as the legalization of marijuana and the regulation of rents.

"I do not like this idea personally, because I thought," If you're going to move, why do not you do a little exercise? ", Said the mayor to reporters last fall." This seems to me really pbadive. "

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, a fan of muscle cars and motorcycles, wanted to legalize scooters at the state level as part of the budget negotiations earlier this year, but state lawmakers were not present.

"We are trying to have this conversation precisely because we are behind so many other big cities in the world, not just in this country," said Ms Ramos in an interview. "We want to be able provide residents with green ways to get around "

Although the devices are banned, some people own private scooters and flout the rules. Sarah M. Kaufman, a professor of urban planning at New York University, said she often saw electric scooters in Manhattan. She used a Bird scooter, which the company gave her to try, without any problems.

"I went to the police and she said nothing," she said. "It does not seem to be something that is imposed."

Nevertheless, city officials fear that an influx of scooters will lead to serious accidents. Two people died in the city last year weeling electric scooters, including a 7 year old boy who was hit by a public bus last May.

The boy, Shevon Bethea, was driving a Razor children's electric scooter, known as the E300 model, which can cost more than $ 250, according to city officials. A bus driver from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority hit the boy in the Bronx, police said. Broken pieces of the boy's blue scooter were strewn across the street. The driver has not been loaded.

New York officials have reviewed the study and have taken a cautious approach to what some have called a "micro-mobility revolution" – the arrival not only of electric scooters, but also of electric bicycles without pedestals. other devices.

The couriers' favorite bikes – electric butterfly-controlled bicycles, capable of traveling more than 20 kilometers at the hour – are illegal, a decision that has raised concerns about discrimination against women. 39, a workforce composed largely of immigrants. Ms. Ramos' bill would also allow local governments to set rules for delivery bicycles.

De Blasio, a Democrat running for president, has taken a tough stance on delivery bikes, although Johnson, the city council chair, supports their decision to legalize.

Uber and Lyft, the running titans, are also competing to offer scooters and e-bikes across the country. Lyft bought Citi Bike last year, while Uber bought Jump Bikes.