Taryn Adamczyk

bills like this are selectively enforced such that they disproportionately affect people of color. A New York Times report of a similar requirement in Fort Lauderdale, FL showed that 93% of those ticketed or fined were Black despite representing only 31% of the city’s population. Since bikes aren't sold with titles, it's nearly impossible to prove bike ownership, making it harder to comply, avoid being fined, and refute accusations of criminality (e.g. that the bike was stolen). Fining unregistered bikes also puts undue burden on low-income individuals who rely on bikes for cheap transport and may not be able to get the time off from work needed to register at the DMV.