Dear friends and neighbors:
The unofficial first weekend of the summer is upon us and the weather looks glorious and as it should be!
 
 
Thank you to everyone who is continuing to give feedback on our new scooter program.  It is really your input that is helping to bring focus and responses to the safety concerns we are witnessing. 
Children / Teens On E-scooters 
I spoke again with Ms. Shapiro of Lime last night who told me they have made a major change that I hope will have the biggest impact in keeping those underage off of the scooters:  They are turning on the feature requiring an ID to ride.
Apparently the feature was not turned on until now.  According to Lime this was because it was not required by the City in its contract with Lime.  However, given the prevalence of underaged riders, Lime agreed with the City to change this - not only will Lime be turning this feature on going forward, they will also require people who have already registered and have not previously provided ID to provide it before they can ride again.  Also, I asked Ms. Shapiro if they are speaking directly with our schools (the idea came from one of you!), and she said she is already speaking with leadership in the Hoboken District Schools and is looking to expand this to other schools in Hoboken.  
Unsafe Riding By Adults?
There have been mixed results and the jury is still out here.  I was out today and saw plenty of people riding as responsibly as you can without a helmet.  On a day like today, the appeal of E-scooters is obvious.  But unsafe riding is still prevalent.  The picture on the left I took this afternoon at Newark and Hudson.  The guy on the left had just come off the sidewalk before he started to drive the wrong direction down the street.  The guy on the right - a Lime guy - almost knocked me over as he sprinted towards the rider screaming for him to stop so he could then educate him on where to ride.  
The picture on the right was sent to me and exemplifies the worst about this program.  I spoke with two Police Officers stationed near the PATH this morning.  They just started their shift and had already stopped three riders (not sure if they issued summons) and said they appreciated the feedback being received from all of you.   It helps them understand what the issues are (mainly sidewalk riding and wrong direction) and where the infractions are occuring.  Reminder to send your comments the following emails:
  • traffic@hobokepd.org
  • support@li.me
  • ojohobokencs@gmail.com
Common Safe Actions We Can All Take
 
As we go into the beautiful weekend, another reminder of what you can do to help improve this PILOT program:   
  • Take responsibility for riding safely and telling others to do so as well. 
  • Don’t break the laws. 
  • Stop for all stop signs and stop lights. 
  • Ride in the right direction on streets.
  • Don't ride on sidewalks.
  • Don't let anyone under 18 ride the E-Scooters. 
  • Make sure you lock your E-Scooter after you have ridden it.
  • Respect your neighbors where you park your E-Scooter. 
  • Wear a helmet.
  • Be the example of what this could be. 
And if you plan to be sitting and enjoying adult beverages at Pier 13 this weekend, remember: Don't Drink and Scoot.  Hoboken PD will have extra enforcement in the area to ensure the safety of everyone.
 
 
Have a safe and enjoyable first weekend of Summer.  And on Monday, please take a moment to think about and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  If you see any of these guys below or anyone else who has served our country, please make sure to tell them thank you.
 
 Click picture for more photos from the 121st Hoboken Memorial Day Parade.
 
Please forward this to everyone to help educate and inform our community on this important issue.  And as always, feel free to reach out via email, text or phone (201-208-1674) about this or anything else important to you.   
Have a great weekend!