What to Know
- NYC could see a e-scooter pilot program as soon as this summer, if Bill de Blasio passes set of four bills.
- At a hearing on Wednesday, dockless vehicle companies testified to e-scooter safety.
- Rideshare company Lime is inviting people to take one of their new award-winning scooters for a spin this Friday and Saturday.
Ever wanted to test ride one of those dockless scooters, beloved in Los Angeles? Now you can.
Rideshare company Lime is inviting people to take one of their new scooters for a spin this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m at the Lime Lounge in Midtown West.
Lime, which operates dockless bike and scooter programs around the world, already has a bike pilot program in outer boroughs. The company wants to show NYC how safe its scooters are, in hopes of making the city its next big location expansion.
Dockless programs like Lime are run through mobile apps, in which customers can locate nearby e-bikes and e-scooters via GPS. The app is used to activate the vehicle, which can be ridden and parked wherever the customer wants — including, it seems, in the Hudson River.
One of the main concerns about having an e-scooter program in NYC is safety. So far, there have been three e-scooter fatalities since the surge in dockless programs started in 2017.
A set of four bills was introduced to the city council’s Committee of Transportation Wednesday, and if passed, the city could see a e-scooter pilot program as soon as this summer.
Local
In an effort to help pass these bills, representatives from dockless e-scooter companies Bird and Lime prepared testimonies for the hearing. Both argued that establishing e-scooter programs in would cut down commute times, make streets safer and contribute to NYC’s continued efforts to go green.
