Photo: Mack Male (Flickr)

New York’s first e-scooter pilot kicks off

16 August 2021

by Christopher Carey

New York City’s Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) will launch its first e-scooter pilot this week, with 3,000 scooters set to hit the streets.

Bird, Lime and Veo, the three companies participating in the pilot, will each roll out 1,000 e-scooters in the Bronx neighbourhood for the first phase of the pilot, with a further 3,000 scooters expected next year as part of the second phase.

“This is an exciting announcement as we officially bring shared micromobility to the East Bronx community,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman.

“With safety as our top priority, we look forward to a continued collaboration with Bird, Lime and Veo, elected officials and local Bronx communities to make e-scooter share an effective, convenient, and equitable way to get around.”

The programme is designed to test the use of e-scooters in the city and collect relevant insights, as well as focus on providing the area with affordable and sustainable transportation options.

Community engagement

In 2020, the New York City Council passed legislation allowing the city’s DOT to conduct a pilot for a shared e-scooter programme.

But the law specified that the pilot could not take place in Manhattan and needed to prioritise areas underserved by its shared Citi Bike scheme.

The DOT says it undertook an “extensive community engagement process” in the run-up to the launch to educate the public about the pilot, including its safety, equity, and accessibility components.

This included dozens of meetings with community organisations, elected officials and medical facilities.

Rules

The maximum speed of the e-scooters will be capped at 15 mph, and users are only allowed to ride in bike lanes and on streets with a maximum speed limit of 30 mph.

The trial is open to those aged 18 and over, and users are encouraged – but not required – to wear helmets.

To reduce pavement clutter, the DOT has installed 90 designated e-scooter parking zones, or ‘corrals‘, in busy corridors of the city.

Riders in parts of the pilot zone not served by the corrals can park e-scooters on pavements provided they are out of the pedestrian path of travel.

New York City Council Member and Chairman of the Transportation Committee Ydanis Rodriguez said: “Increasing access to micromobility options will help New Yorkers embrace alternative forms of transportation and reduce our carbon emissions footprint.

“I am happy to hear that the e-scooters pilot programme will begin in the East Bronx, an area riddled by transit deserts [and] I will be working closely with DOT Commissioner Hank Gutman, Bird, Lime, Veo, transportation advocates, and community members to ensure we are keeping all riders and pedestrians safe.”

Image: Mack Male (Flickr)

  • Reuters Automotive
https://cities-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dawn-crop.png

Technology inclusion goes beyond internet access in LA

  • Reuters Automotive