NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to Lyft announcing that it will begin implementing age verification to ensure electric Citi Bike riders are 16 or older, Tusk Philanthropies, who developed and led the effort to bring about this change — including creating the initial idea, authoring a recent op-ed in the Daily News calling on Lyft to verify age, and then bringing forth multiple political forces to pressure Lyft — released the following statement from its founder and CEO Bradley Tusk:

Lyft, the operator of Citi Bike, has agreed to begin verifying the age of riders on their electric bikes to ensure that people under 16 are not able to ride them. Underage teenagers, especially boys, have been recklessly riding ebikes at top speed — without a helmet — since the program's introduction. With ebike injuries surging 293% from 2019-2022 nationwide and more than 400 ebike crashes citywide so far in NYC (a 20% increase over this point last year), it's only a matter of time until a child on a Citi Bike either dies in an ebike crash or seriously injures someone else.

By agreeing to verify the age of their customers, Lyft is preventing that from happening and I am grateful to them for it. I am also very grateful to First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro for using his influence to force Lyft to the table, negotiating this deal and getting such a great outcome for the people of New York City, just like he did by lowering the ebike speed limit.

Ed Skyler, Head of Enterprise Services & Public Affairs at Citi, did the same, as did Council Member Justin Brannan who began the campaign three weeks ago by demanding that Lyft start verifying age. Their work was instrumental. This wouldn't have happened without them.

This isn't the biggest issue facing New York but as a parent, I know how much I worry and I know how important this is. This announcement will save lives. It will save families from heartbreak. It will save teenagers from their own bad judgment. It's a good day for New York.

About Bradley Tusk:
Bradley Tusk is a venture capitalist, political strategist, and philanthropist. Bradley's family foundation, Tusk Philanthropies, has played a unique and impactful role in securing public policy wins for New Yorkers, including recent successes in the fight to implement age verification for electric Citi Bike riders, ban forced brokers fees, reform overly burdensome scaffolding regulations, pass legislation to provide legal protection for doctors who prescribe abortion medication via telemedicine to women in restricted states, and secure universal school meals for all New York State students.

Further from home, Tusk Philanthropies is also funding and leading the national campaign to bring mobile voting to all U.S. elections. Tusk Philanthropies also runs and funds Solving Hunger, whose work has led to passage of legislation creating $2 billion in new annual funding for anti-hunger policies and programs in 24 different states, helping to feed nearly 14 million people on a daily basis.

Bradley hosts a podcast, Firewall, about the intersection of tech and politics and owns an independent bookstore, P&T Knitwear, on Manhattan's Lower East Side, which is home to New York City's only professional podcast studio that is free for community use.

Earlier in his career, Bradley served as campaign manager for Mike Bloomberg's 2009 mayoral race, as Deputy Governor of Illinois, overseeing the state's budget, operations, legislation, policy and communications, as communications director for US Senator Chuck Schumer, and as Uber's first political advisor.

Contact: cory@tuskholdings.com 

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SOURCE Tusk Philanthropies