Lime, the electric bike and scooter sharing company, announced that the Bronx saw a surge in ridership in 2024, marking its most successful year since its local launch in 2021. The company reported a 51% increase in unique riders compared to 2023.
In total, Lime provided over 59,000 Bronx riders with approximately 1.49 million rides last year, reflecting a 55% increase in total rides over the previous year, according to the company. The program expanded into Queens in 2024, the company said, based on its purported success in the Bronx.
“Tens of thousands of people have come to rely on Lime to get around their neighborhoods in Queens and the Bronx and we’re grateful to each and every one of our riders for making us part of the city’s public transportation network,” said Nicole Yearwood, Senior Manager of Government Relations at Lime.
The micromobility program launched in the East Bronx in August 2021, with three vendors, Lime, Bird, and Veo. It has since expanded its footprint within the borough to include neighborhoods like Castle Hill, Parkchester, Soundview and Throggs Neck and launched in Eastern Queens in June.
The e-scooter company said that the majority of its riders in New York City were likely commuters headed to work and school, with most people taking their rides between the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Lime predicted that the newly launched congestion pricing plan, which charges drivers a toll for entering Manhattan below 60th Street, could lead to increased ridership on its electric scooters. Peak congestion hours, when tolls are at their highest, is between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends – coinciding with Lime’s peak ridership.
But the numbers sparked debate as to whether the program is a success.
Council Member Kristy Marmorato, who represents District 13 in the East Bronx, said that the numbers don’t tell the whole story, and she views the program as a “complete failure.” She said that the e-scooters are often left abandoned on sidewalks and in public areas; many riders ignore traffic and parking rules; and often the riders are underage. The council member said she often gets photos of their alleged misuse sent to her office.
“For Lime to measure success solely by the number of rides, rather than the functionality and safety of the program, shows just how greedy and tone-deaf the company really is,” Marmorato said in a statement to the Bronx Times. “Our district has lived without this program for decades and will do just fine without it. It’s time to clean up our streets and prioritize public safety over corporate profits.”
The council member called for the program to be scrapped last month, writing a letter to Mayor Eric Adams urging him to end it.
The electric scooter share program in Queens faces similar opposition from City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams (D-28) and Council Member Sandra Ung (D-20) who both called for a halt to the program with Ung introducing in September 2024 legislation calling for it to be banned from parts of Eastern Queens.
But a spokesperson for Lime defended its record on safety and challenged Marmorato’s statement that the company was “greedy.”
“As we’ve told the Council Member [Marmorato], the statistic we are always most proud of is that 99.99% of trips end safely,” said a company spokesperson. “Safety is the foundation of every successful micromobility program and the Bronx has been one of the safest in the world, with zero major injuries on lime vehicles in 3.5 years.”
The e-scooter company cited millions in investments it’s made in staffing and safety measures in the Bronx as well as charitable contributions to Bronx communities, including a partnership with the Morris Park Business Improvement District to deliver gingerbread house kits to children, an event that Marmorato’s office claims was attended by reckless riders on scooters.
The council member had a photo of riders who appear to be attending the event, running a red light and narrowly missing a parent and child in a crosswalk.
Other Bronx Council Members have embraced the program. City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farías, who represents District 18 including Parkchester, Castle Hill, Soundview, Unionpoint and Westchester Square, said that she supports the e-scooter initiative, noting that her district is in need of transit options. A spokesperson from her office said they have partnered with e-scooter vendors to address safety and parking concerns.
“She feels that the e-scooter program has been a benefit to her community, encompassing community boards 9 and 10; and the numbers in the Lime report show that her constituents agree,” a spokesperson said. “While every new program or initiative comes with challenges, especially in the beginning, we have worked closely with all involved to improve this service for our residents.”
Other e-scooter vendors haven’t fared as well as Lime in the borough. E-scooter vendor Bird reported relatively stagnant numbers for 2023 and 2024, with unique riders increasing by about 3% from 15,191 in 2023 to 15,642 in 2024, while the miles traveled using Bird e-scooters increased by just over 7%. The company noted that about 40% of Bird rides ended within 50 feet of other public transit options saying that the numbers indicated e-scooters were an important “last mile option for riders to connect to transit.”
In 2023, e-scooter company Veo halted service to parts of the Bronx after a spate of incidents that left Veo e-scooters dumped in the Bronx River and abandoned throughout the Bronx River Parkway.
Despite criticism from local leaders, Yearwood, Lime’s Senior Manager of Government Relations, remains optimistic about the future of e-scooter micromobility given its growth.
“Lime is committed to working with elected officials and the communities they represent in order to fine tune the e-scooter program and ensure that the amazing ridership we’re seeing is paired with continuous improvements in safe riding and proper parking,” Yearwood said.
