New York City DOT launches e-scooter pilot in East Bronx

The three companies participating in the pilot will bring up to 3,000 e-scooters to the East Bronx during Phase 1 this month, with an increase to as many as 6,000 in the second phase next year, according to an NYCDOT press release.

NYCDOT and each company underwent an extensive community engagement process to site e-scooter parking corrals and educate the public about the pilot, including its safety, equity, and accessibility components. These included dozens of meetings with community boards, local BIDs, nearby medical facilities, and more.

“This is an exciting announcement as we officially bring shared micromobility to the East Bronx community,” NYCDOT Commissioner Hank Gutman said in a statement. “With safety as our top priority, we look forward to a continued collaboration with Bird, Lime, and Veo, elected officials, and local Bronx communities to make e-scooter share an effective, convenient, and equitable way to get around.”

Mandated by City Council legislation passed in 2020, the city’s e-scooter pilot is expected to offer a new shared mobility option in the eastern Bronx pilot zone. In Phase One this year, neighborhoods from Eastchester and Co-op City to Morris Park are included. In 2022, Phase Two will include neighborhoods farther south, including Throggs Neck and Soundview. In total, the zone is an 18-square-mile area home to a diverse population of 570,000 residents, including 25,000 NYCHA residents, NYCDOT says.