The city will expand its e-scooter sharing program to parts of Queens next year, the Department of Transportation said Thursday.

The expansion in eastern Queens will serve approximately 20 square miles from Flushing and Auburndale to Rochdale Village and Springfield Gardens, the DOT said in a news release.

What You Need To Know

  • The expansion in eastern Queens will serve approximately 20 square miles

  • The department piloted the program in the East Bronx in 2021

  • The city will continue to work with e-scooter share operators Bird, Lime and Veo as it rolls out the program in Queens

The department piloted the program in the East Bronx in 2021. Since then, nearly 115,500 unique users have taken more than 2 million trips on the program’s e-scooters, the release said.

“E-scooters and other forms of micromobility will help us build a cleaner and greener transportation system that connects residents to commercial and transit hubs,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement. “Our pilot program met and exceeded our ambitious goals — and it’s time we make it available in more neighborhoods.”

The city will continue to work with e-scooter share operators Bird, Lime and Veo as it rolls out the program in Queens, the DOT said.

The program is expected to benefit around 600,000 residents, with specific boundaries set to be determined “based on community feedback,” the release said.

To promote affordability and accessibility, the DOT has also made discounted e-scooter share rates available to New Yorkers who receive or qualify for local, state or federal assistance programs, the release added.