E-Scooter Pilot In Hoboken Almost Over; Will City Say Adieu?

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken’s six-month electric scooter sharing pilot will end on Wednesday, Nov. 20. But the question of whether it will be renewed – or if the city will kiss the vehicles goodbye – still remains to be answered.

The great e-scooter experiment in Hoboken has drawn its supporters and its opponents. But in order for the program to continue, the City Council will have to approve an official extension.

After the pilot expires, the next meeting of the Hoboken City Council will take place on Dec. 4.

The original pilot program in Hoboken involved two vehicle providers: Lime and Ojo. However, the city canceled its contract with Ojo in September amid safety concerns.

Lime continues to operate in Hoboken as the city’s sole e-scooter provider. According to the company, more than 640,000 trips have been taken within Hoboken by about 70,000 unique riders during the pilot period.

City officials had previously amended their deal with the two companies, negotiating a per-ride fee of 35 cents to invest in traffic enforcement, education tools and transportation infrastructure upgrades.

• See related article: Hoboken, E-Scooter Vendors Agree To New Fee

On Friday, Mayor Ravi Bhalla released the following statement about the e-scooter pilot program:

“We strive to be leaders in providing sustainable transportation options within our mile square that enhance mobility for residents. E-scooters have proven to be a very popular first-mile, last-mile connection for residents to get around our city, and when used responsibly, provide important quality of life improvements for residents. As a city, we’ve gained valuable first-hand knowledge of what has worked with the program, and the safety and enforcement tools that can be improved for a better riding experience for users and non-users of the program.”

Bhalla continued:

“Understanding the legitimate concerns from residents regarding safety as well as the feedback from many users asking for e-scooters to continue, I’ve asked the Chair of the City Council’s Transportation and Parking Subcommittee, Mike Russo and Councilmember Tiffanie Fisher to convene a working committee with my Director of Transportation, Ryan Sharp, to come up with both short-term and long-term recommendations regarding a potential e-scooter pilot extension and longer term program, along with other shared mobility services. I thank Councilmembers Russo and Fisher for their interest in the program and improving all modes of transit within Hoboken.”

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