On Wednesday morning, December 11th, the New York City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a hearing for “Priscilla’s Law.” The grassroots advocacy group “New York City Electric Vehicle Safety Alliance” (NYC EVSA) will rally outside the City Council in advance to support the proposal.
Founder of the alliance, Janet Schroeder, notified the media in advance on Saturday the 7th about the rally. In her statement, she emphasized, “Only accountability can change behavior. Making people responsible for their actions can change the behavior of riders, rather than relying solely on infrastructure. More bike lanes or additional lanes cannot prevent cyclists from running red lights – it can never be accomplished.”
Priscilla Landau, a former vice principal at the Chinatown Head Start, was deeply loved by students, staff, and parents. On September 5th last year, Priscilla Landau was tragically hit by a red-light running electric scooter rider on her way to work, resulting in severe head injuries. After being hospitalized for two days, Priscilla Landau succumbed to her injuries.
New York City Council Member Robert Holden, a member of the Democratic Party, first introduced the proposal in 2023, naming it after Priscilla Landau. The proposal aims to mandate all electric scooters and electric motorcycles to be registered and licensed to hold accountable those responsible for accidents.
This year, Holden reintroduced the proposal (Intro. 2024-0606). In addition to Holden himself, a total of 31 council members, including both Democratic and Republican members, have co-sponsored the proposal, holding the majority in the 51-member council. Asian American council members who joined the co-sponsorship include Linda Lee, Sandra Ung, and Susan Zhuang.
However, as the representative for the Chinatown district, Council Member Christopher Marte has not yet participated in the co-sponsorship.
The rally for “Priscilla’s Law” will take place at 9:15 am on the steps of the New York City Council on the 11th, followed by the hearing at 10 am.