By Michael V. Cusenza
The call to cut the e-scooter program in at least one section of the borough seems to be gaining traction—and rapidly galvanizing support.
Last month, City Councilman Jim Gennaro (D-Hillcrest) demanded that Mayor Eric Adams terminate the street strategy in District 24. Gennaro noted that his constituents were “overwhelmingly unhappy about what it has done to our quality of life. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again—e-scooters have no place in our community.”
On Monday, Gennaro doubled down—and he brought some friends along. He was joined in fresh Meadows by Councilwoman Sandra Ung (D-Flushing), Assemblymen Sam Berger (D-Flushing) and David Weprin (D-Richmond Hill), and Community Board 8 Chairwoman Martha Taylor to call for an end to the e-scooter program in Northeast Queens. The elected officials also slammed the City Department of Transportation and the Adams administration for their lack of commitment to transparency. Gennaro’s office was in the process of setting up an “E-Scooter Town Hall” to give area residents the opportunity to discuss their concerns directly with DOT officials. Despite multiple attempts to set up the event, DOT has declined to attend. The Town Hall was originally planned for the day of the press conference: Monday, Sept. 16.
“Today would have been the day our offices host an E-Scooter Town Hall, allowing residents the opportunity to ask questions and offer honest feedback about the rollout of the e-scooter program in Northeast Queens. But DOT has demonstrated that they are not committed to transparency, refusing to attend any town hall we host on the subject matter. They do not care about what these e-scooters have done to our community, and they are not interested in hearing our feedback,” Gennaro said. “This program has been a total disaster. The community does not want these scooters here. We do not want these scooters here. And we call on this administration and DOT to terminate this program in Northeast Queens immediately.”
Weprin said, “This e-scooter program is not the right fit for our neighborhoods. As elected officials and local community leaders, we were not consulted for input on the program and our residents’ voices are not being taken into account. There must be more stringent rules on who can operate these scooters and better education about where they can be used and stored. Our sidewalks must be safe for people of all ages—those who ride at high velocities down the sidewalk are putting children, the elderly, and everyday New Yorkers at risk of being hit and injured. E-scooters are being left on every corner, sometimes blocking storefronts or even wheelchair ramps. This is unsightly, unsafe, and unacceptable! I call for an indefinite pause on the program in our communities until such time as a more intentional and thought-out plan to address our public transit needs can be implemented.”
In addition to what he has consistently characterized as a lack of transparency, Gennaro noted that there are steps DOT can take to at least address the scourge of e-scooters haphazardly abandoned in the middle of sidewalks or even on private property. However, several council districts remain littered with e-vehicles that are fast becoming eyesores.
