What is an electric scooter?
Electric scooters, also known as e-scooters, have handlebars and a floorboard or seat and may be powered by electric and/or human power. The citywide speed limit for e-scooters is 15 MPH. New Yorkers must be 16 years or older to ride a privately owned e-scooter. To use a shared e-scooter, New Yorkers must be 18 or older.
For differences between e-mobility devices, please see this chart (PDF).
Where are e-scooters permitted to ride?
E-scooters should be operated and treated in the same way as bicycles. E-scooter users are permitted to ride in bike lanes and on streets with speed limits no greater than 30 MPH. E-scooter users may not ride on the sidewalk and must obey all local traffic laws. For more information, please check out the rules of the road (PDF).
Do you need to wear a helmet when riding an e-scooter?
Riders who are 16 or 17 years old must wear a helmet when riding an e-scooter. However, all riders are encouraged to wear a helmet, regardless of age.
What is an electric scooter?
Electric scooters, also known as e-scooters, have handlebars and a floorboard or seat and may be powered by electric and/or human power. The citywide speed limit for e-scooters is 15 MPH. New Yorkers must be 16 years or older to ride a privately owned e-scooter. To use a shared e-scooter, New Yorkers must be 18 or older.
For differences between e-mobility devices, please see this chart (PDF).
Where are e-scooters permitted to ride?
E-scooters should be operated and treated in the same way as bicycles. E-scooter users are permitted to ride in bike lanes and on streets with speed limits no greater than 30 MPH. E-scooter users may not ride on the sidewalk and must obey all local traffic laws. For more information, please check out the rules of the road (PDF).
Do you need to wear a helmet when riding an e-scooter?
Riders who are 16 or 17 years old must wear a helmet when riding an e-scooter. However, all riders are encouraged to wear a helmet, regardless of age.
What are shared e-scooters?
Shared e-scooter systems have become popular in many American cities over the past few years, allowing millions of people to rent publicly accessible e-scooters for short trips. These systems operate similarly to dockless bike share. Riders find and unlock shared e-scooters within a designated service area using a smartphone app.
What is the shared e-scooter program?
In 2020, the New York City Council passed Local Law 74 (PDF), mandating that the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) conduct a pilot for a shared e-scooter system in New York City. The law specifies that the pilot will not occur in Manhattan and will prioritize areas underserved by Citi Bike. The pilot ran in the East Bronx between August 2021 - August 2023.
Throughout the pilot, NYC DOT evaluated shared e-scooters as a viable transportation option in New York City and monitored scooter operators’ ability to provide safe, affordable, and well-maintained transportation options for New Yorkers. Due to the pilot's success, DOT and shared scooter operators will continue to serve the East Bronx and expand to Eastern Queens as part of a long term program.
What happens after the pilot?
Scooters will remain available in East Bronx neighborhoods from Eastchester and Co-Op City to Throggs Neck and Soundview, a 22-square mile area home to 590,000 residents and several major employment centers, as well as Jacobi and Montefiore Hospitals and the Soundview Ferry terminal.
The next phase of the program will span from Flushing to Jamaica, through Kew Garden Hills, Queensboro Hill, Pomonok, Briarwood and Jamaica Hills. This 23-square mile area is home to 600,000 residents, four universities, and several popular commercial corridors.
Maps of the service areas are attached below.
What are shared e-scooters?
Shared e-scooter systems have become popular in many American cities over the past few years, allowing millions of people to rent publicly accessible e-scooters for short trips. These systems operate similarly to dockless bike share. Riders find and unlock shared e-scooters within a designated service area using a smartphone app.
What is the shared e-scooter program?
In 2020, the New York City Council passed Local Law 74 (PDF), mandating that the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) conduct a pilot for a shared e-scooter system in New York City. The law specifies that the pilot will not occur in Manhattan and will prioritize areas underserved by Citi Bike. The pilot ran in the East Bronx between August 2021 - August 2023.
Throughout the pilot, NYC DOT evaluated shared e-scooters as a viable transportation option in New York City and monitored scooter operators’ ability to provide safe, affordable, and well-maintained transportation options for New Yorkers. Due to the pilot's success, DOT and shared scooter operators will continue to serve the East Bronx and expand to Eastern Queens as part of a long term program.
What happens after the pilot?
Scooters will remain available in East Bronx neighborhoods from Eastchester and Co-Op City to Throggs Neck and Soundview, a 22-square mile area home to 590,000 residents and several major employment centers, as well as Jacobi and Montefiore Hospitals and the Soundview Ferry terminal.
The next phase of the program will span from Flushing to Jamaica, through Kew Garden Hills, Queensboro Hill, Pomonok, Briarwood and Jamaica Hills. This 23-square mile area is home to 600,000 residents, four universities, and several popular commercial corridors.
Maps of the service areas are attached below.
What companies are participating?
How were these companies chosen?
In late 2020, NYC DOT released a Request for Expressions of Interest (PDF) for a dockless shared e-scooter pilot. Companies were evaluated based on experience, safety, operations, accessibility, equity and outreach, and consumer and labor policies. NYC DOT announced in April 2021 that Bird, Lime, and Veo would be participating in the pilot. These companies continue service in the Bronx and Queens.
How much does it cost to ride a shared e-scooter?
All participating shared e-scooter companies offer similar pay-as-you-ride pricing. Users typically pay $1 to unlock an e-scooter and either $0.42 (Bird + Lime) or $0.39 (Veo) per minute of use.
All participating shared e-scooter companies offer discounted pricing for low-income New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients. Participating in these programs greatly reduces the cost of using an e-scooter. For more information, please visit the links below:
Will shared e-scooter companies be limited to certain neighborhoods?
No. All three companies are allowed to operate across the entire service area.
How many shared e-scooters are available as a part of this program?
Each shared e-scooter company is allowed up to 2,000 e-scooters in the Bronx service area for a total of 6,000 shared e-scooters. Numbers will be similar in Queens.
Discount Program Enrollment
As required by the DOT contract, the three e-scooter companies operating in New York City (Lime, Veo and Bird) must provide discounts to low-income residents. Each company has their own discount program, so depending on which scooter brand you want to use, you can register for one, two or all of them. Each membership is slightly different, so read the details below and register for what makes sense for your trips.
Lime Discount Program Enrollment
Standard Price: $1 to unlock, $0.42 per minute
Discounted Price: No membership fee, 1 free 30-minute ride per day, $0.04 per minute afterwards
Eligibility:
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- NYCHA residents
- Medicaid
- Reduced-rate utility bill
- Fair Fare recipients
- Social security supplemental income
- Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Pell Grant Recipients
To Enroll: Click “Apply Now” and upload your assistance documentationhttps://www.li.me/why/community/lime-access
Veo Discount Program Enrollment
Standard Price: $1 to unlock, $0.39 per minute
Discounted Price: $5 per month, 1 free 30-minute ride per day, $0.20 per minute afterwards
Eligibility: NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients
To Enroll: Click the link below and upload your assistance documentation
https://veoride.typeform.com/to/C3iOLVpY?typeform-source=www.veoride.com
Bird Discount Program Enrollment
Standard Price: $1 to unlock, $0.42 per minute
Community Price: 50% off all rides ($0.19 per minute)
Eligibility:
- Senior citizens
- Veterans
- Pell Grant recipients
- Employees of pre-approved non-profits
Discounted Price: $5 per month, unlimited 45-minute rides, $0.39 per minute afterwards
Eligibility:
- NYCHA residents
- Fair Fare recipients
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Members of National Credit Union Administration low-income credit union
- Medicaid/Medicare
- Reduced-rate utility bill
- Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
To Enroll: Download the Bird app, create an account and fill out your information at this link
https://help.bird.co/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=4525412340628
What companies are participating?
How were these companies chosen?
In late 2020, NYC DOT released a Request for Expressions of Interest (PDF) for a dockless shared e-scooter pilot. Companies were evaluated based on experience, safety, operations, accessibility, equity and outreach, and consumer and labor policies. NYC DOT announced in April 2021 that Bird, Lime, and Veo would be participating in the pilot. These companies continue service in the Bronx and Queens.
How much does it cost to ride a shared e-scooter?
All participating shared e-scooter companies offer similar pay-as-you-ride pricing. Users typically pay $1 to unlock an e-scooter and either $0.42 (Bird + Lime) or $0.39 (Veo) per minute of use.
All participating shared e-scooter companies offer discounted pricing for low-income New Yorkers, including NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients. Participating in these programs greatly reduces the cost of using an e-scooter. For more information, please visit the links below:
Will shared e-scooter companies be limited to certain neighborhoods?
No. All three companies are allowed to operate across the entire service area.
How many shared e-scooters are available as a part of this program?
Each shared e-scooter company is allowed up to 2,000 e-scooters in the Bronx service area for a total of 6,000 shared e-scooters. Numbers will be similar in Queens.
Discount Program Enrollment
As required by the DOT contract, the three e-scooter companies operating in New York City (Lime, Veo and Bird) must provide discounts to low-income residents. Each company has their own discount program, so depending on which scooter brand you want to use, you can register for one, two or all of them. Each membership is slightly different, so read the details below and register for what makes sense for your trips.
Lime Discount Program Enrollment
Standard Price: $1 to unlock, $0.42 per minute
Discounted Price: No membership fee, 1 free 30-minute ride per day, $0.04 per minute afterwards
Eligibility:
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- NYCHA residents
- Medicaid
- Reduced-rate utility bill
- Fair Fare recipients
- Social security supplemental income
- Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Pell Grant Recipients
To Enroll: Click “Apply Now” and upload your assistance documentationhttps://www.li.me/why/community/lime-access
Veo Discount Program Enrollment
Standard Price: $1 to unlock, $0.39 per minute
Discounted Price: $5 per month, 1 free 30-minute ride per day, $0.20 per minute afterwards
Eligibility: NYCHA residents and SNAP recipients
To Enroll: Click the link below and upload your assistance documentation
https://veoride.typeform.com/to/C3iOLVpY?typeform-source=www.veoride.com
Bird Discount Program Enrollment
Standard Price: $1 to unlock, $0.42 per minute
Community Price: 50% off all rides ($0.19 per minute)
Eligibility:
- Senior citizens
- Veterans
- Pell Grant recipients
- Employees of pre-approved non-profits
Discounted Price: $5 per month, unlimited 45-minute rides, $0.39 per minute afterwards
Eligibility:
- NYCHA residents
- Fair Fare recipients
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- Members of National Credit Union Administration low-income credit union
- Medicaid/Medicare
- Reduced-rate utility bill
- Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
To Enroll: Download the Bird app, create an account and fill out your information at this link
https://help.bird.co/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=4525412340628
Where are shared e-scooters allowed to park?
Parking rules for shared e-scooters vary based on location within the service area. There are two types of parking; free floating parking and mandatory corral zones.
Please check out our live map in our "Presentations & Maps" tab or this map (PDF) for more information.
What is “free floating” parking and where is it located?
In the vast majority of the service area, riders can park their shared e-scooter in the furniture zone of the sidewalk.
The furniture zone of a sidewalk is the area at the edge of the sidewalk, adjacent to the roadbed, where the public typically finds benches, bus stops, tree pits, and parking signs. When parking in the furniture zone, users must not:
- block the pedestrian path of travel, including pedestrian ramps
- block curb cuts or driveways
- park on private property or the roadbed
What are “mandatory corral zones” and where are they located?
“Mandatory corral zones” are areas within the service area where users must park their shared e-scooter in a designated parking corral in order to end their trip. These are especially useful in dense, commercial corridors to minimize sidewalk clutter and allow the system to act more like docked scooter share.
Parking corrals are painted boxes located on the sidewalk or in the roadbed. Residents can suggest where parking corrals should be located on our feedback portal maps. For more information regarding the locations of corrals, please visit the "Maps & Plans" tab at in the top menu.
Shared e-scooter companies are required to maintain the parking corrals. To report maintenance issues at a shared e-scooter corral, please email scooter.share@dot.nyc.gov.
Can additional “mandatory corral zones” be added?
Additional parking corrals may be sited and installed as the program continues. NYC DOT is also accepting feedback on where people would like to see parking corrals. Please visit the "Suggest Scooter Parking" tab in the top menu.
How can I report improperly parked shared e-scooters?
Shared e-scooter companies are required to respond to improperly parked vehicles quickly. Community members can alert shared e-scooter companies of improperly parked shared e-scooters by calling the customer service phone number on the vehicle, using the company’s Community Reporting Tool in the app or on their website, or calling 311.
Please visit the "Contact" section below.
Where are shared e-scooters allowed to park?
Parking rules for shared e-scooters vary based on location within the service area. There are two types of parking; free floating parking and mandatory corral zones.
Please check out our live map in our "Presentations & Maps" tab or this map (PDF) for more information.
What is “free floating” parking and where is it located?
In the vast majority of the service area, riders can park their shared e-scooter in the furniture zone of the sidewalk.
The furniture zone of a sidewalk is the area at the edge of the sidewalk, adjacent to the roadbed, where the public typically finds benches, bus stops, tree pits, and parking signs. When parking in the furniture zone, users must not:
- block the pedestrian path of travel, including pedestrian ramps
- block curb cuts or driveways
- park on private property or the roadbed
What are “mandatory corral zones” and where are they located?
“Mandatory corral zones” are areas within the service area where users must park their shared e-scooter in a designated parking corral in order to end their trip. These are especially useful in dense, commercial corridors to minimize sidewalk clutter and allow the system to act more like docked scooter share.
Parking corrals are painted boxes located on the sidewalk or in the roadbed. Residents can suggest where parking corrals should be located on our feedback portal maps. For more information regarding the locations of corrals, please visit the "Maps & Plans" tab at in the top menu.
Shared e-scooter companies are required to maintain the parking corrals. To report maintenance issues at a shared e-scooter corral, please email scooter.share@dot.nyc.gov.
Can additional “mandatory corral zones” be added?
Additional parking corrals may be sited and installed as the program continues. NYC DOT is also accepting feedback on where people would like to see parking corrals. Please visit the "Suggest Scooter Parking" tab in the top menu.
How can I report improperly parked shared e-scooters?
Shared e-scooter companies are required to respond to improperly parked vehicles quickly. Community members can alert shared e-scooter companies of improperly parked shared e-scooters by calling the customer service phone number on the vehicle, using the company’s Community Reporting Tool in the app or on their website, or calling 311.
Please visit the "Contact" section below.
What safety measures are in place for the shared e-scooter program?
Safety for all road users is NYC DOT’s number one priority. Shared e-scooter companies must adhere to several safety requirements that align with New York City’s Vision Zero policy. Safety requirements include:
- New users must complete an in-app safety training and pass a safety quiz
- New users must complete ‘Beginner Mode’ wherein the first 3 trips are a slower speed and cannot occur overnight.
- Companies must establish a helmet giveaway and/or discount program
- Companies must hold at least 4 free, voluntary in-person lessons per month
- Companies must create rider accountability policies to discourage poor rider behavior
- Companies must create policies to prevent account sharing
Will accessible vehicles be available to New Yorkers with disabilities?
As part of their contract, each company must provide wheelchair accessible vehicles. These vehicles will be available for longer rentals and delivered to a user’s home or picked up at partner organization site. Please contact the e-scooter company directly for more information. Shared e-scooter companies, NYC DOT, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities will meet regularly to discuss accessibility issues.
Learn about Bird's Adaptive Program
Can shared e-scooter companies use contract workers?
No, companies are not permitted to use gig workers for any part of the shared e-scooter program. All work conducted in relation to the shared e-scooter program must be conducted by W-2 employees. No fleet franchise models will be allowed. NYC DOT will encourage companies to hire New York City residents for roles created to support the program.
What safety measures are in place for the shared e-scooter program?
Safety for all road users is NYC DOT’s number one priority. Shared e-scooter companies must adhere to several safety requirements that align with New York City’s Vision Zero policy. Safety requirements include:
- New users must complete an in-app safety training and pass a safety quiz
- New users must complete ‘Beginner Mode’ wherein the first 3 trips are a slower speed and cannot occur overnight.
- Companies must establish a helmet giveaway and/or discount program
- Companies must hold at least 4 free, voluntary in-person lessons per month
- Companies must create rider accountability policies to discourage poor rider behavior
- Companies must create policies to prevent account sharing
Will accessible vehicles be available to New Yorkers with disabilities?
As part of their contract, each company must provide wheelchair accessible vehicles. These vehicles will be available for longer rentals and delivered to a user’s home or picked up at partner organization site. Please contact the e-scooter company directly for more information. Shared e-scooter companies, NYC DOT, and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities will meet regularly to discuss accessibility issues.
Learn about Bird's Adaptive Program
Can shared e-scooter companies use contract workers?
No, companies are not permitted to use gig workers for any part of the shared e-scooter program. All work conducted in relation to the shared e-scooter program must be conducted by W-2 employees. No fleet franchise models will be allowed. NYC DOT will encourage companies to hire New York City residents for roles created to support the program.
For general comments, questions, and concerns regarding the shared e-scooter pilot please contact NYC DOT directly at:
- Email: scooter.share@dot.nyc.gov
- Call: NYC DOT Bronx Borough Commissioner – (212) 748-6680
- Call: NYC DOT Queens Borough Commissioner – (212) 839 - 2510
For specific issues regarding accounts, operations, or improperly parked vehicles, please contact the specific shared e-scooter company directly.
Bird Contact Info
Lime Contact Info
Veo Contact Info
For general comments, questions, and concerns regarding the shared e-scooter pilot please contact NYC DOT directly at:
- Email: scooter.share@dot.nyc.gov
- Call: NYC DOT Bronx Borough Commissioner – (212) 748-6680
- Call: NYC DOT Queens Borough Commissioner – (212) 839 - 2510
For specific issues regarding accounts, operations, or improperly parked vehicles, please contact the specific shared e-scooter company directly.