Critics Decry New York’s Stringent Enforcement Against E-Bike Riders

On a Wednesday morning in Downtown Brooklyn, Ivan Boston’s day began unexpectedly at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The previous month, police had stopped him for running a red light while riding his electric bike, and he had assumed the DMV visit was simply to resolve a traffic ticket.

However, the notice he held was not a standard traffic citation. Instead, it was a criminal summons bearing a stark warning: “To avoid a warrant for your arrest, you must appear in court.”

Realizing the gravity of the situation transformed what he had thought to be a minor inconvenience into an all-day affair. Mr. Boston rushed to the David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building, located near City Hall, to attend court.

“This is outrageous,” said Mr. Boston, 56, a construction worker whose unplanned court appearance cost him $200 in lost wages. “But I’m trying to avoid an arrest warrant.”

Attorneys familiar with the criminal summons process express similar confusion over this new wave of enforcement.

“These charges are unusual and unexpected in the summons court system,” said Gideon Oliver, a lawyer who routinely handles cases in this venue.