E-scooter pilot sparks early parking concerns
BY ALIYA SCHNEIDER
Now that east Bronxites
have seen electric scooters
around their neighborhoods
for more than a month, the
most common complaint has
been where the scooters are
being parked, according to
city Department of Transportation
offi cials.
The shared e-scooters are
intended to bring an environmentally
friendly and affordable
transportation option,
and while Department of
Transportation (DOT) has received
positive feedback about
the devices connecting people
to subways, jobs and loved
ones, the agency has undoubtedly
received its fair share of
criticisms confi rming that
the most common complaints
have been about improperly
parked scooters.
The devices are supposed
to be parked along the edge
of the sidewalk, or in marked
corrals – which are sections of
sidewalks or roadbeds marked
for scooter parking – but residents
say they are seeing the
scooters blocking driveways,
in the middle of sidewalks and
in parks, as well as in front of
passenger car doors.
NYC Councilman Mark
Gjonaj, whose legislative district
– District 13 – represents
neighborhoods within the east
Bronx e-scooter pilot, also said
haphazardly parked e-scooters
is one of the most common
concerns he’s received about
the program.
“Complaints of e-scooters
have been seen strewn across
streets, walkways, and sidewalks—
impeding traffi c and
pedestrians alike,” Gjonaj, a
Democrat, wrote in a Sept. 24
letter to DOT Commissioner
Hank Gutman. “Additionally,
some constituents have reported
that parked e-scooters
have fallen and hit their cars
from sidewalks. ‘Dumping
ground’ is a phrase we have
heard quite a bit.”
The initial phase of a
two-phase east Bronx pilot
launched on Aug. 17, borne
from legislation passed by the
City Council in June 2020. The
program is overseen by DOT
and includes e-scooters from
three companies: Lime, Veo,
and Bird. Each company is allowed
up to 1,000 scooters in
phase one and another 1,000 in
next year’s phase two – with a
potential grand total of 6,000
devices. Currently, Veo has
600 e-scooters in the program;
Bird about 800 and Lime between
BRONX TIMES R 6 EPORTER, OCT. 1-7, 2021 BTR
900-1000, according to
company representatives.
As part of the agreement
with DOT, e-scooter companies
must move improperly
parked devices within 1 hour
for scooters obstructing sidewalks
and 24 hours for others,
DOT spokeswoman Alana
Morales told the Bronx Times.
Improperly parked scooters
can be reported to the companies
directly or by contacting
311.
“Part of our review of the pilot
will include e-scooter parking
behavior and how well responses
to parking issues are
met,” Morales said.
While all three companies
have options for reporting improperly
parked scooters, none
were willing to confi rm with the
Bronx Times that parking problems
were an issue.
But according to a survey
sent to more than 8,500 of
Gjonaj’s email subscribers, 86%
of respondents do not believe
his district has the infrastructure
to deal with e-scooters; 80%
are concerned with the devices
being dumped or improperly
parked around the district; and
20% do not believe the program
is safe.
And it’s true that the criticisms
don’t end with parking.
Bronx residents have been
complaining to their representatives
and on social media about
scooters driving on sidewalks,
going the wrong way down
one-way streets, and zooming
through red lights.
The scooters are only supposed
to be ridden on streets
and bike lanes with speed limits
30 mph and under, and have
a citywide speed limit of 15 mph.
The NYPD told the Bronx
Times that they do not break
down data to the level of specifi city
of how many e-scooter operators
– subject to the same rules
as bicyclists – have received
tickets. DOT did not respond to
whether any city agency keeps
track of scooter accidents.
Since the e-scooter pilot program launched in the east Bronx on Aug. 17.,
2021, the biggest complaint from residents has been where the devices
are being parked. Photo Pablo D. Castillo Jr.
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