Bird Rides and the Beach 41st Street NYCHA Houses Tenants Association in Far Rockaway co-hosted a safety demonstration and helmet giveaway to introduce the world’s first E-Scooter Sharing Service to the peninsula.
The event was an opportunity for Far Rockaway residents to learn how e-scooters provide a safe, affordable and environmentally friendly option to get around their communities.
The event was the first of a series hosted by Bird as the city’s Department of Transportation recently began accepting applications by e-scooter operators to take part in a pilot program in the outer boroughs. Attendees had the opportunity to ride Bird’s latest e-scooter, the Bird Two. Among the curious on hand was southeast Queens newest Assemblyman Khaleel Anderson.
“Historically, the Rockaways have struggled with severely lacking transit options,” Anderson said. “E-scooters are an incredibly exciting new transportation option that I’m excited the DOT will be bringing to the outer boroughs. I’m also grateful to Bird for their commitment to ensuring the safety of our neighbors and that communities like ours must be among the first to see the benefits of e-scooters to begin closing the transit equity gap.”
Bird was the first — and is currently the only — scooter-share company operating in New York state, with a pilot program currently operating in Yonkers in addition to 100 cities worldwide. The company seeks to partner with the DOT in the upcoming pilot in March and is committed to prioritizing equitable distribution across the city.
“Neighborhoods like the Rockaways are often the last to benefit from new technology, particularly when it comes to transit,” Bird Senior Director of Government Partnerships Maurice Henderson said. “Which is why we’re incredibly excited about the potential to bring our scooters to communities like this so that they are the first to benefit from these new innovations.”
