Should Hoboken Voters Decide Fate Of City’s E-Scooter Program?

HOBOKEN, NJ — An effort to let Hoboken residents weigh in about the future of the city’s controversial e-scooter pilot program via a ballot question may be dead in the water for now.

Last week, Mayor Ravi Bhalla said the decision to continue – or nix – the city’s e-scooter sharing program should be left to Hoboken voters with a public, non-binding question on the ballot in November.

“Whether the City of Hoboken continues to allow e-scooters is not just a mundane question of governance as we are one of the first municipalities in the region to pilot the program, and the end result could have an impact broadly across the state and region,” Bhalla said.

“I strongly believe we should be governing by listening to the voices of more residents, not stifling an opportunity to gather input on an issue through a fair and democratic method,” Bhalla stated.

• See related article: Hoboken Prepares For E-Scooters As Gov. Murphy Signs New Law

During their last meeting, the council voted down the proposal 5-2.

In a June 24 email, Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher commented on Bhalla’s proposed referendum, calling it “too little, too late.”

“The mayor is recommending the use of a non-binding referendum to determine if we should keep an e-scooter program,” Fisher said. “But this wouldn’t be until November and I think that is too little too late.”

Fisher continued:

“I am not in support and the simplest reason is that a referendum with one ‘yes’ or ‘no’ question doesn’t tell us anything about such a complex topic as this. And one can only imagine how much the scooter companies will spend on lobbying for people to vote in favor. Remember how much money they are at risk losing if it is terminated. A better and sooner path is to have a public process that includes a survey and public meetings to really collect the right feedback.”

A spokesperson for Bhalla offered Patch the following statement on Tuesday:

"Mayor Bhalla, the City Transportation Department and the Hoboken Police Department continue to work diligently with the e-scooter companies to improve the service and make it safer for all riders and residents. This will undoubtedly continue in the months ahead. This non-binding public question is one of several considerations Mayor Bhalla proposes the city takes into account to evaluate the program’s future."

Last week, Lime – one of the two e-scooter providers in the city – said that 100,000 rides have been taken in Hoboken since the pilot program launched in May. It was the highest ridership per vehicle in any of Lime's markets around the world during this timeframe, the company stated.

“E-scooter ridership in Hoboken has far exceeded the city's ridership predictions prior to program launch,” said Ryan Sharp, Hoboken’s transportation director. “During peak periods it's not uncommon to see as many scooters as cars in some areas of Hoboken now.”

Catch up on some recent coverage on Hoboken’s e-scooter pilot program below (click headlines to read article).

>>Hoboken Sees First E-Scooter Rider Arrest; Lime Reports ‘Record Usage Rates’

>>Hoboken Rolls Out E-Scooters: Learn The Rules Of The Road

>>Hoboken 1st In New Jersey To Embrace E-Scooter 'Revolution'

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