Hoboken Mayor, E-Scooter Vendors Agree To New Fee

HOBOKEN, NJ — As Hoboken’s experimental foray into the world of e-scooters passes its halfway point, municipal officials are poised to make some significant tweaks to the contracts with the city’s vendors, Lime and Ojo.

On Monday, the office of Mayor Ravi Bhalla released details about a proposed deal with Lime and Ojo. The new contract – which still needs to be approved by the City Council – would provide Hoboken with a 35-cent fee for every ride. That money would be reinvested in greater enforcement and education tools, as well as the creation of local transportation infrastructure such as protected bike lanes.

The new contract would remain in effect for the rest of the pilot program, which ends on Nov. 30.

Lime and Ojo would contribute 20 cents per ride, while users would contribute 15 cents. The existing charge to the user of $1 to activate a Lime e-scooter and fee of 29 cents per minute, and $1.25 to activate an Ojo e-scooter and fee of 29 cents per minute would remain unchanged.

The reworked contract is on the agenda for the council’s meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

Officials kicked off the six-month pilot program to try out e-scooters in Hoboken in May. Since then, the city’s two providers – Lime and Ojo – have provided more than 275,000 rides in the Mile Square.

Many have praised the new vehicles, posting videos and social media comments about the benefits they bring to the city. But others have offered a steady wave of safety-related complaints, prompting officials to go back to the drawing board.

• See related article: Hoboken Rebooting Deals With Lime, Ojo Amid Complaints (VIDEOS)
• See related article: Hoboken Rolls Out E-Scooters (Learn The Rules Of The Road)
• See related article: Hoboken Sees First E-Scooter Rider Arrest

PROPOSED CONTRACT: MORE ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION

The new e-scooter agreement with Lime and OjO also includes:

• A scooter ID plate requirement
• A shared data system for user violations

According to Bhalla’s office, the amended contract could potentially provide up to $100,000 or more allocated specifically for the education, enforcement and transportation infrastructure upgrades. It could also provide up to $500,000 for a potential 12-month period, “all at no cost to the Hoboken taxpayer.”

On the enforcement side of things, the new deal would support the Hoboken Police Department’s ongoing efforts involving e-scooter safety. Those efforts – which have been done with the cooperation of Lime and Ojo – include:

• In July, Lime implemented a slow zone along the Hoboken waterfront (limited to 8 miles per hour) to slow scooters down in the pedestrian-heavy area. OjO has banned scooters from the waterfront.
• Lime and OjO have banned more than 125 users for violations including underage riding, tandem riding, sidewalk riding and other road violations.
• Lime and OjO deploy foot patrol teams to collect illegally parked scooters and keep sidewalks clear of clutter.
• Implementation of an identification scan to verify age (users must be at least 18 years of age)
• Presentation of rules and regulations within the e-scooter mobile applications
• Lime, OjO and City staff tracking violations and reporting non-compliant users to the e-scooter companies which can then suspend or terminate accounts
• Specific e-scooter enforcement by the Hoboken Police Department
• Shutdown of the e-scooters between 9 pm and 11 pm based on the day of the week, to reduce the likelihood of intoxicated riding
• Implementation of a new data application for the City to track all e-scooter operations
• New dedicated e-scooter parking zones
• Lime continues to host bi-weekly First Ride classes to familiarize new riders with the city’s rules and regulations as well has how to safely ride in a guided and low-pressure environment. You can learn more about how to ride a Lime scooter here.

In addition, Lime has pledged to implement a “Lime Heroes” program, which would contribute funds to the Hoboken Community Center. Formerly known as “Hoboken’s YMCA,” the nonprofit currently provides housing and resources to low-income individuals. E-scooter users will have the option to round up the cost of each ride to the nearest dollar or two dollars, which Lime will contribute directly to the Hoboken Community Center.

“The Hoboken Community Center manages a housing program that provides over 90 low and moderate-income men with affordable housing, and we are beginning the rehabilitation of a historic building that will serve all of Hoboken with new recreational and cultural programs,” President Ken Nilsen said.

“Support from the Lime Hero program will benefit both these important missions, and the cooperation of Mayor Bhalla and Lime to support this important community resource is greatly appreciated,” Nilsen said.

Mayor Bhalla offered support for the idea of e-scooters in Hoboken, saying that they provide residents with “an additional, green transportation option.”

“This amended contract will help provide funds dedicated specifically for enforcement to help ensure rules and regulations are being followed, as well as important infrastructure upgrades including protected bike lanes to provide safer roads for all users,” Bhalla said. “I’m hopeful these tools will help improve the e-scooter experience in Hoboken as we evaluate the future of the program.”

Others who offered support for the proposed new contract included:

Phil Jones (Senior Director of East Coast Government Relations and Strategic Partnerships at Lime) – “Hoboken’s e-scooter program is extremely popular. To meet the high demand, Lime and the city worked together to increase safety and improve infrastructure. Hoboken has taken the lead in supporting new modes of transportation in the Tri-State area, and continues to explore new ways to improve its transportation network so that residents have affordable, reliable, and convenient options around the Mile Square City.”

Matt Finelli (P3GM’s operations manager) – “We are very encouraged by the initial OjO ridership data and use cases in the first two months, and will continue to work with the city to ensure the safety of the public. We support the revised terms of the pilot as it calls for additional fees to finance enforcement and build out infrastructure to support the city's ‘Vision Zero’ safety goal of eliminating all traffic-related deaths and injuries by 2030. OjO and P3GM understand the need for investments in infrastructure and enforcement to best manage new modes of mobility.”

Chris Adair (President of Bike Hoboken) – “It’s great to hear the City of Hoboken is allocating a portion of this additional e-scooter revenue toward protected bike lanes which provide the safe infrastructure that bicyclists and scooter riders need and want. Giving people a safe, dedicated place to ride, minimizes injury and is a proven method to decreasing sidewalk riding.”

Hoboken Councilman Mike DeFusco also offered support for the new deal with Lime and Ojo, but added that "serious public safety concerns" still remain because of the "rushed roll-out" of the pilot program.

"For this program to succeed long-term, it’s important for us to immediately begin making the proper investments in rider safety and transportation infrastructure," DeFusco continued. "The new contract that myself and Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher advocated for allows us to generate substantial revenue to properly enforce scooter laws and build safer streets without straining taxpayer resources. I’m happy to see the mayor act on our call to renegotiate the existing contracts and put the safety of our residents above all else and believe these new terms are a step in the right direction in finding ways to implement a more sustainable program. I look forward to receiving continued community feedback and working with the administration to decide the best ways to proceed from here."

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