Statement from Bradley Tusk In Response to 15-Year-Old Girl Killed While Riding Electric Citi Bike in East Village

NEW YORK, Sept. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to a Friday night crash that killed a fifteen year old girl on an electric Citi Bike, Bradley Tusk, founder of Tusk Philanthropies and leader of the effort — which was scrapped by the Mamdani administration — to institute age verification to prevent riders under sixteen from accessing electric Citi Bikes, released the following statement:

"Last night in the East Village, a 15-year old girl on a Citi Bike e-bike was hit by a heavy-duty industrial truck and killed. In May, Citi Bike, after a year of preparation, was prepared to roll out a new age verification system to ensure that no one under the allowed age of 16 could rent an e-bike.

"The day before the launch, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson ordered Citi Bike to stand down. Their argument was that biometric screening is racist and therefore it cannot be used. They also argued that data about Citi Bike users should not be collected even though every ride already is recorded since renting a bike means using a digital device and payment in the first place.

"The mayor's unyielding devotion to a far left ideology at the expense of common sense has now resulted in the death of an innocent girl. His refusal to put real people ahead of Instagram politics and Bushwick basement philosophizing has yet again resulted in real world harm, just as his refusal this past winter to break up homeless encampments led to the death of 19 people who froze to death. This mayor neither understands his roles and responsibilities, nor does he care. Getting more followers on TikTok is all that matters.

"E-bike crashes are up more than 32% this year compared to last. It is time to immediately implement the Citi Bike age verification system before more kids are killed or injured on e-bikes. And if Deputy Mayor Kerson continues to obstruct public safety, the City Council should demand that she be relieved of her duties."

Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Tusk Philanthropies