Hoboken Prepares For E-Scooters As Gov. Murphy Signs New Law

HOBOKEN, NJ — Gov. Phil Murphy has officially given the thumbs-up to a law that authorizes e-scooters in New Jersey. And Hoboken – the Mile Square City – is primed to be on the frontline of the “revolution.”

On Monday, Murphy signed S-731 into law, which approves the use of low-speed electric scooters and e-bikes in New Jersey. The new law regulates e-scooters and e-bikes in a similar way to ordinary bicycles. The transportation devices – which must travel 20 miles per hour or slower – are allowed on streets, highways and bicycle paths.

An operator of a low-speed electric bicycle or motorized scooter is not required to register the scooter or e-bike, furnish proof of insurance or have a driver’s license. All statutes, rules, and regulations that apply to ordinary bicycles will apply to low-speed electric bicycles and motorized scooters.

The primary sponsors of the new law were Senator Linda Greenstein, Senator Shirley Turner, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji and Assemblyman Jamel Holley. (Read the full bill here)

“Electric bicycles and motorized scooters offer a fantastic alternative to cars and their use will serve to cut both emissions and congestion in our cities,” Murphy said. “As we seek to support New Jersey’s Innovation Economy, this bill will help encourage a true re-imagining of urban commuting.”

“Permitting the use of low-speed electric bikes supports our efforts to protect the environment by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Assemblyman Mukherji, who represents Hoboken, Jersey City, Union City and Weehawken. “By bringing our motor vehicle laws into the 21st century, we will enable the rollout of e-bikes in Jersey City’s bike share program and expand the transportation options available to New Jerseyans.”

ROLLING OUT E-SCOOTERS IN HOBOKEN

The new law was immediately praised by e-scooter company Lime, which is set to roll out a pilot program in Hoboken “next week,” it stated Tuesday.

“Governor Phil Murphy and the New Jersey Legislature helped secure a more reliable, affordable and accessible transportation future for Garden State residents, and Lime is ready to get rolling,” said Phil Jones, senior director of East Coast government and strategic partnerships.

As part of the Hoboken campaign, the city will partner with Lime and P3GM, the operator of JerseyBike, to make 300 electric scooters available for rental by residents and visitors. Under a Hoboken municipal ordinance, the scooters will be allowed to use the city’s bike lanes, but will not be permitted to ride on sidewalks.

• See related article: Hoboken 1st In New Jersey To Embrace E-Scooter 'Revolution'

The e-scooter program got enthusiastic support from Mayor Ravi Bhalla and Councilman Michael DeFusco, who said the technology has the potential to "revolutionize" how residents and visitors get around Hoboken.

“I look forward to hopping onto a scooter soon on my morning commute to Manhattan, and I hope all Hobokenites take the opportunity to try out this exciting new mode of transportation and let us know what they think," DeFusco said when the pilot program was announced last month. (Story continues below)

‘NOT A GOOD IDEA, PERIOD’

Not all Hoboken residents were thrilled with the city’s open-arm attitude towards e-scooters, though.

Here are some comments seen on our Facebook post about the pilot program in Hoboken:

• “Not a good idea, period. Seen them.in San Diego and it's not good. Dangerous. They're left all over the place, there's research on it in the cities that have executed those programs. Read up before you say this is a good idea.”
• “Sorry. I do not think this is a good idea, for sooo many reasons.”
• “I’m all for different types of transportation but Hoboken has way too many cars (unruly Uber drivers), trucks and buses and worse, drivers that don’t follow the rules of the road to make this a viable option for the city. It sounds good on paper but in reality, I fear for all the potential accidents and worse for the Hoboken residents. I had many close calls as a pedestrian, it will only get worse with e-scooters.”

E-scooters have also drawn criticism from some disability advocates, who have claimed that the transportation devices violate the Americans with Disability Act by blocking access to streets and sidewalks.

In January, Disability Rights California filed a class action lawsuit against the City of San Diego, as well as the city’s e-scooter providers, Lime and Bird.

According to DRC spokespeople:

“This action challenges the failure of the City of San Diego and private scooter companies to maintain the accessibility of the city’s public sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and transit stops for people with disabilities, in the face of an onslaught of unregulated dockless scooters. Plaintiffs have been allowed to appropriate the public commons for their own profit, regardless of the impact on people with disabilities who live and/or visit the city. Persons with mobility impairments including people who use wheelchairs or walkers, and people with significant visual impairments are being denied their right to travel freely and safely on our public walkways in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and state anti-discrimination laws.”

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