ROLLING POLLING: As Ridership Surpasses the Half-Million Mark, Hoboken Seeks Public Opinion on Scooters

Hoboken: Baseball, Sinatra… and Scooters

If you mention the Mile Square City these days, the topic of scooters comes immediately to mind.

Just yesterday, the City of Hoboken announced that it will be deploying two (2) Micromobility Code Enforcement Officers (MCEOs) to cover the Mile Square City and enforce ordinances/regulations pertaining to micromobility devices (e-scooters, bicycles, e-skateboards, etc).

Hoboken Police Department’s short-lived Segway Patrol (2009)

The rideshare program’s popularity in Hoboken is significant, with Lime most recently reporting 500,000+ trips since May. Riders enjoy the ease and convenience of the rideshare scooters, as a reliable and affordable way to navigate short journeys around the Mile Square City and its traffic-choked thoroughfares.

However, scooters in Hoboken have been under intense scrutiny since their rollout on May 20. A rider was arrested in June for attempting to flee police on the Waterfront after colliding with a pedestrian. In September, a scooter collided with a mother and child on the sidewalk, prompting Hoboken City Council to crackdown on safety with bans in parks and on the Waterfront. Meanwhile, incidents of DWI on scooters have been making headlines over the past few weeks.

Scene from a scooter accident on Hoboken’s Washington Street in early October, where the rider was allegedly intoxicated—Andrea Kroenig photo.

Hoboken’s e-scooter rideshare pilot program is set for review in November, at which point the City will decide whether to maintain the agreements or terminate the program.

As that decision nears, the City is asking residents and visitors alike to fill out a comprehensive survey pertaining to scooters and their use within Hoboken.

“The City of Hoboken began a six-month electric scooter sharing pilot program in May. As the end of this pilot period approaches, the City’s Department of Transportation & Parking is using the following survey to solicit your feedback on the program,” reads the introduction to the survey. “Your survey responses will help the City of Hoboken determine whether e-scooters help it achieve its Vision Zero, Climate Action Plan, equity, and mobility goals.”

Recently, a poll commissioned by Hoboken Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo drew over 3,100 responses. From that survey, 42% responded that Hoboken should maintain the contract with Lime, 26% expressed they’d be open to the agreement should Lime update their technology and restrictions, while roughly 30% said they were not at all in favor of Hoboken’s rideshare program.

Those numbers indicate an entrenched YES v. NO camp, while the swing would come from those who see the program as positive but are dismayed by its execution to date.

In Russo’s poll, younger respondents were dramatically in favor of the scooters over older respondents. Chief complaints were overall safety concerns—specifically the notion that scooters are treated as “disposable transportation,” and left haphazardly throughout the city streets/sidewalks once riders reach their destination. Improved enforcement ranked highly among suggested improvements.

City of Hoboken representatives have stated that they will share the results of their poll with hMAG upon completion.

CLICK HERE to take the survey.

***