August 15, 2022, by Bobby Panza

On August 15, Council Member Gale Brewer kicked off a press conference on West 93rd Street joined by leadership of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its neighbors to discuss the dangers of secondhand or refurbished lithium-ion batteries that are catching fire in some e-bikes. A plan to introduce legislation banning such batteries was proposed, and if approved, it would prohibit them from being stored in NYCHA buildings — where many delivery people live — by October 15, 2022.

“We’re here because we’re really concerned about the lithium [ion] batteries that are on many e-bikes and the fact that they have caused injury and death when plugged in illegally,” said Council Member Brewer, who went on point out that, in 2021, the New York City Fire Department reported 106 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which injured 79 people and killed four. These statistics have already increased in 2022, with 120 being tallied, totaling 62 injuries and two deaths, which is on pace to double from last year.

Council Member Brewer recognized the August 3 fire that was caused by lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes at the NYCHA-owned Jackie Robinson Houses on East 129th Street. The sixth-floor blaze killed a 5-year-old girl, her father’s girlfriend and three dogs. The father was left in critical condition.

Tenant Association President for West Side Urban Renewal Brownstones Cynthia Tibbs highlighted the 36 scattered NYCHA brownstones between 89th and 93rd streets. “Lately, we have an abundance of residents that are using e-bikes in order to do work. The problem with that is that they’re hanging extension cords out their windows, down the stairwells, in their apartments and the buildings are already over 100 years old so the last thing we need is a fire.”

Read more: https://ilovetheupperwestside.com/brewer-nycha-leaders-hold-press-conference-on-e-bike-safety/