Newark Gets First-Ever Shared Bike and Scooter Program

NEWARK, NJ —Newark mayor Ras J. Baraka announced Tuesday the launch of the city's first-ever shared bike and electric scooter program called NewarkGo, which will begin this month.

Initially launching as a six-month pilot program, NewarkGo will offer 2,000 affordable bicycles and e-scooters that can be rented using an app. Bike and e-scooter parking corrals have been installed around Newark, the city announced.

"While our schools, offices and businesses continue to reopen, NewarkGo can help Newarkers access all that our city has to offer," Baraka said. "This safe, fast and affordable service is the first new mode of transportation our city has seen in decades."

According to a press release, the NewarkGo program was developed in collaboration with the City of Newark Department of Engineering and the Department of Economic and Housing Development. Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that works with mayors to improve the quality of life of city residents, provided assistance on the project.

NewarkGo will offer service to every ward, the release states, including in communities with lower incomes and longer commutes. There will be discounted ride options and alternative rental services for people without access to cellphones or credit cards. Plus, adaptive bike designs will accommodate people of different ages and abilities.

"These bikes and scooters represent an entirely new transportation system for Newark, making it more accessible, equitable and affordable than ever to get around," said Janette Sadik-Khan of Bloomberg Associates. Sadik-Khan helped launch New York's Citi Bike program in 2013, when she was that city's transportation commissioner.

Sadik-Khan continued: "Mayor Baraka is setting a national example for cities during the recovery by bringing more opportunities within reach of every neighborhood."

Two companies, Santa Monica-based Bird Rides, Inc. and Chicago-based Veoride, Inc., have been selected to supply bikes and scooters for the program. Both had applications approved by the department of engineering.

According to a release, Bird operates in over 250 cities, while Veoride, Veo for short, has operated in more than 40 markets in the U.S., including: San Diego, Oakland, New Rochelle, New York and at Rutgers University-New Brunswick, and it will be launching service in The Bronx this summer.

More information about the NewarkGo program can be found on the city's website.