Hoboken allows electric scooters; will test scooter share program

HOBOKEN, N.J. (FOX 5 NY) - Officials in Hoboken have given their blessing to locals and visitors to try giving electric scooters are whirl on the streets.

The city passed an ordinance on Wednesday allowing electric scooters that cannot travel faster than 20 mph to use bike lanes. Scooters are not allowed to use sidewalks.

The city is also partnering with two companies— Lime and P3GM—for a six-month pilot program to offer e-scooters for rental.

Lime will operate dock-less Lime-S scooters while P3GM will operate Ojo scooters that need to be docked at existing JerseyBike share stations.

"Electric scooters will help residents easily travel around our city, reduce congestion on our roadways, and improve access to transit stations and business districts," Mayor Ravi Bhalla said in a statement. "This is another way Hoboken is leading the way in implementing environmentally responsible transportation initiatives."

Safety remains a concern, of course. Authorities in Hoboken will monitor the pilot program to see if riders are responsible and safe.