On September 13th, at a regular meeting of the New York City Council, Council Member Sandra Ung of Flushing introduced legislation (Intro. 1045) to ban the operation of shared electric scooter systems in Flushing. This summer, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) implemented a shared electric scooter project in a large area of eastern Queens, including much of Council District 20.
Since the implementation of this project, Council Member Ung’s office has received numerous complaints about reckless riders and improperly parked electric scooters clogging sidewalks, storefronts, and residential entrances. Over a year ago, when she first received this proposal, she explicitly told the DOT that the project was not suitable for expansion into Flushing due to its high population density and congested traffic. Unfortunately, the DOT has been unwilling to listen to community concerns, so she has had to seek legislative solutions.
Council Member Ung’s legislation would prohibit individuals, organizations, or entities authorized by the DOT to operate shared electric scooters for rent from installing scooter parking areas and related infrastructure on designated streets in Flushing. The legislation also prohibits the use of shared electric scooters on designated streets.
In June of last year, the DOT permitted three companies, Bird, Lime, and Veo, to add 6,000 electric scooters to the streets and sidewalks of eastern Queens.
The project in Flushing marked around 40 parking areas on sidewalks and roads, but unfortunately, many people simply park their scooters wherever they please, including in no-parking zones in downtown Flushing.
Outside of downtown Flushing, users can park their scooters anywhere after they finish riding, often leading to sidewalk, roadway, crosswalk, and storefront and residential entrance blockages. These scooters not only cause inconvenience but also pose a serious threat to the elderly and those with mobility issues.
In July of last year, Council Member Ung wrote to DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez expressing her concerns and urging him to reconsider. In multiple subsequent meetings with representatives from the department, she reiterated her opposition.
In May, Council Member Ung held a press conference with representatives from Community Board 7 and the Flushing Business Improvement District, stating their joint opposition to extending the project to Flushing.