Mamdani Wins: What The New Mayor Means For E-Bikes in NYC
Written by: Rémy Rossi | November 5, 2025 | Time to read 4 min
NYC’s new mayor Zohran Mamdani pedals into office— what his win means for e-Bikes, safer streets, and the future of micromobility in the city.
More about the Author: Remy Rossi
Rémy Rossi is a bike writer, mechanic, and educator who got his start in community-based bike shops and co-ops. With a decade in the industry, he still wrenches on bikes when he can and plays bike polo on a fixie.
Before Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani clinched the mayoral victory last night, he was hard at work campaigning all across New York City. And when he was running late, he would grab a Citi Bike and start pedaling.
In a now-viral moment shared by his campaign’s TikTok account, he unlocks a Citi Bike from the dock as someone yells out pejoratively, “Communist!”. Without skipping a pedal stroke, Mamdani instantly quips back, “It’s pronounced cyclist!”.
New York City has elected Zohran Mamdani as its new mayor, marking a significant departure from the tune played by outgoing Mayor Eric Adams and election runner-up Andrew Cuomo. In his victory speech, Mamdani alluded to a new age for New York City. Plenty of changes are on the docket, but let’s take a magnifying glass to just a handful of micromobility and transportation issues. What can New Yorkers expect from Mayor Mamdani when it comes to electric bikes?
Mamdani is a cyclist
Mayor-elect Mamdani pledges to finish stalled bike and bus lanes
This summer, Mamdani vowed to complete street redesigns that stalled out during the Adams administration, including a scandal involving bribery to kill the safety changes to McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint. He specifically mentioned protected bike lane projects on Ashland Place, Bedford Avenue and Third Avenue in Brooklyn, and bus lanes on Fordham Road and Tremont Avenue in the Bronx.
Bike infrastructure plans and safer street projects in New York City took a back seat in the past couple of years. Mamdani revealed plans to reinvigorate those abandoned plans and ensure street redesigns aren’t vulnerable to campaign donors and special interests.
What’s next for Adams’ 15 mph e-Bike speed limit?
Mamdani plans to hold delivery apps accountable for safer streets
Instead of criminalizing speed limit infractions for e-Bikers, Mamdani said, “I would actually build on the City Council's progress in holding the apps accountable, like DoorDash and GrubHub, to ensure that there weren't incentives for breaking those street traffic laws. I do not think police should be the ones dealing with the failures of these app companies.”
To power NYC’s cycling and electric bike boom, the city needed a new mayor, and it got one— and all signs point to Zohran Mamdani being quite bike-friendly. And from our UpCenter in East Williamsburg, the Upway team will be right in the thick of it, fighting for safer streets and better cycling across New York City.
For more in-depth coverage of Mamdani’s transportation plans, visit Streetsblog NYC.
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Browse Upway’s large collection of commuter e-Bikes today!
Key Takeaways
- Cyclist Mayor: Mamdani’s daily rides and pro-cycling stance signal a bike-friendly future for NYC.
- Finishing What Adams Stalled: Expect revived bike lanes, safer streets, and accountability in transit projects.
- Smarter E-Bike Policies: Mamdani aims to ease restrictions and shift responsibility from riders to delivery apps.
