Photo courtesy of NYC DOT
The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced on Thursday, June 15, the city’s e-scooter share program will expand to Queens next year.
The program will now cover areas of eastern Queens spanning approximately 20 square miles from Flushing and Auburndale to Rochdale Village and Springfield Gardens.
The DOT, which launched the e-scooter pilot program in the East Bronx in August 2021, has seen over 115,000 unique users take more than 2 million trips in the almost two-year period. The department hopes the program’s expansion will help more New Yorkers commute throughout the city while also decreasing pollution.
“E-scooters and other forms of micro-mobility will help us build a cleaner and greener transportation system that connects residents to commercial and transit hubs,” said NYC DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez in a statement. “I am thrilled that our e-scooter sharing program is here to stay and that it will expand to eastern Queens. Our pilot program met and exceeded our ambitious goals — and it’s time we make it available in more neighborhoods.”
By providing connections to commuters, the NYC DOT estimates the expansion will benefit 600,000 residents, although the program’s boundaries are still to be determined based on community feedback, according to a press release.
Similar to service in the east Bronx, e-scooter share operating companies Bird, Lime and Veo will also provide service to the eastern Queens neighborhoods when the expansion launches in 2024.
Bird, founded in September 2017, reports that 32% of their NYC riders have taken over 100 trips, with the other 68% having taken 20 trips or more. In total, the company estimates over 570,000 rides since the pilot program began and hopes to build on that momentum with the expansion to Queens.
“Bird is thrilled to participate in New York City’s expanded e-scooter sharing program,” said Shane Torchiana, Bird CEO. “We’ve enjoyed the…
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