New York City’s Department of Transportation is set to launch an electric scooter sharing project in the East Queens area this summer. The project is expected to kick off this month with community workshops held by the neighborhood boards, followed by the installation of scooter docking stations in early to mid-June. By the end of June, the electric scooter sharing service will begin operating in the southern part of the project area. The Department of Transportation has also opened an online platform for the public to submit suggestions for parking station locations.
Last June, the Department of Transportation announced the electric scooter sharing program for the East Queens area, spanning from the northern neighborhoods of Flushing and Auburndale to the southern areas of Rochdale Village and Springfield Gardens.
Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez stated that the electric scooter sharing project has been successful in East Bronx. Since August 2021, nearly 4 million scooter rides have been taken in the area. As a result, the department is excited about the launch of the electric scooter sharing initiative in East Queens this summer.
The electric scooter projects in Queens are mostly located in neighborhoods with higher proportions of non-white and low-income populations, with higher employment and population densities, where the Department of Transportation has historically invested less. The local electric scooter projects will be operated by three companies already active in the Bronx: Bird, Lime, and Veo.
Proposed scooter parking stations will cover Community Boards 7, 8, 11, 12, and 13 in Queens, including Flushing, Kew Garden Hills, and Jamaica. The Department of Transportation has set up an online feedback portal where residents can provide input on whether certain locations are suitable or unsuitable for scooter parking. Suggestions can be submitted to the authorities at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/yc4tajyz.