Queens residents, officials demand pause to e-scooter program

Queens residents push back against e-scooters

Queens residents are speaking out against the city’s e-scooter share program, claiming that the scooters are being left haphazardly on streets and sidewalks, endangering the safety of pedestrians, seniors, and the disabled. FOX 5's Jessica Formoso has the story.

QUEENS - Residents in Queens say they are fed up with the city’s e-scooter share program, which they say has caused safety concerns since its launch in June.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) introduced the program in collaboration with private e-scooter companies Bird, Lime, and Veo, but complaints have poured in from local residents who claim the scooters are being abandoned in unsafe locations.

City Council speaker Adrienne Adams says that they have received multiple complaints from seniors and the disabled community, saying that the entire rollout has been disorganized from the start.

New Yorkers demand action on illegal e-bikes

New Yorkers packed a church on the East Side to confront the NYPD about why there is a perceived lack of enforcement of illegal e-bikes, scooters, mopeds and motorcycles. FOX 5 NY's Raegan Medgie has the details.

"There should have been an organized rollout, instead of the dysfunction that we've had, the numerous complaints that we've had, the presentation to our community boards saying ‘take it or leave it, this is what it is,’ we don't accept that," Adams said.

Now, Adams is urging City Hall to pause the program.

"Let's go to the table and let's work this out together," Adams said.

The DOT established designated parking spots for e-scooters in some areas, including Jamaica, Queens, but residents argue the system isn’t working as intended.

FOX 5 reached out to the Department of Transportation for comment, but as of now, there has been no response.