NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City’s first e-scooter pilot program will roll out on the streets of the Bronx on Tuesday.
Lime, Bird and Veo will collectively launch 3,000 e-scooters into three neighbors in the East Bronx – including Eastchester and Morris Park – in the first phase of the pilot.
If all goes well, the Department of Transportation has plans to expand the pilot program next year into Throggs Neck and Soundview, while doubling the fleet to 6,000 scooters.
Each scooter will cost $1 to rent and will charge a fee for every minute of use. Those charged are 39 cents per minute on Bird or Veo and 30 cents per minute on Lime.
All three companies will also provide discounts to low-income residents enrolled in “federal and state assistance programs” and for those living in public housing.
On Monday, Lime officials said they were thrilled to be a part of the launch.
"Lime is honored and grateful to once again serve New Yorkers and we’re excited to get rolling with shared electric scooters in the East Bronx,” said Lime CEO Wayne Ting. “Today is the culmination of years of community outreach, establishing trust and building meaningful relationships to finally bring a shared scooter program to New York City, and we look forward to continuing to earn the trust of all New Yorkers over the coming months and years.”
Ting says the company is dedicated to providing East Bronx residents and visitors with “safe, affordable, and accessible transportation to get around their neighborhoods, all while reducing congestion and connecting people to public transit.”
The DOT says the city’s scooter pilot will span an 18-square-mile area with about 570,000 residents – including 25,000 NYCHA residents.
To ease concerns about safety, each scooter brand has programed the scooters to have a “beginner mode” – which l cap speeds at 10 mph until a rider has used scooters for at least 30 minutes.
The scooters can be accessed through the use of the Bird, Vio or Lime apps. Lime scooters will also be available through the Uber app.