Although the electric scooter movement has taken over almost every big city around the world, NYC has somehow managed to stay off the list. However, if you’re looking for an easy way to get around town without taking public transport, cycling, or driving a car… how does hopping on a moped sound?
Last July we reported that moped-sharing startup, Revel, just released 68 rentable mopeds around Brooklyn. Almost a year later, they’ve taken their business to the next level and expanded to 1,000 mopeds situated around Brooklyn and Queens. During the pilot program in 2018, their mopeds could be found anywhere around Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick but the current zone stretches all the way to Astoria, Long Island City, Red Hook, Crown Heights and Bedford-Stuyvesant.
If you haven’t taken one of the mopeds out for a spin yet, here’s how it’s done: download their app, take a photo of your driver’s license, pay the $19 sign-up fee (cheaper than last year!) and then wait about 24 hours for your license to be approved. Afterwards you can use the app to find the closest moped to your whereabouts and off you go! The price starts at a $1 base and then 25-cents per minute. That said, you can only ride around the Brooklyn/Queens areas mentioned above, so don’t try be cheeky and take it into Manhattan.
The mopeds are technically Class B vehicles, meaning it’s illegal to drive them on expressways and other high-speed roads and bridges, which you probably wouldn’t want to do anyway. Good news is that they’re offering 40% discount for those in low-income groups like SNAP and NYCHA.
Check out their how-to video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZKQhCUX2XM
featured image: gorevel.com