SCOOTERS LAUNCH IN ASBURY PARK – PRESS RELEASE

LINK E-SCOOTERS TO LAUNCH IN ASBURY PARK, OFFERING A NEW, SAFER, SUSTAINABLE WAY TO GET AROUND ON THE JERSEY SHORE
Superpedestrian’s technologically advanced LINK e-scooters will help the city meet its goals of expanding equitable access to micromobility.
ASBURY PARK, NJ – The Asbury Park City Council on Wednesday night gave final approval to the launch of Superpedestrian’s LINK shared e-scooter service, making it Asbury Park’s exclusive provider for the next three years. The first of 50 silver and bright yellow vehicles will be deployed later this spring growing to a fleet of 250, with a focus on inter-neighborhood access and connections to NJ TRANSIT. Asbury Park is the first New Jersey city served by Superpedestrian’s LINK scooters.
LINK scooters are the smartest, safest and more stable e-scooters in the industry. LINK is the first and only e-scooter with on-board Artificial Intelligence that autonomously performs vehicle maintenance, ensuring every vehicle is safe before every ride. Superpedestrian will host safety workshops and free helmet distribution for residents prior to launching.
To ride a LINK scooter, simply download the LINK mobile app from your iOS or Android app store, and use the app to scan a scooter’s QR code. LINK also has accommodations for riders without smartphones. Rides cost $1 to unlock a scooter plus 35 cents per minute. Asbury Park residents receiving local, state or federal assistance will qualify for a 70 percent discount under
the “LINK-Up” program.
“We are thrilled to offer our LINK scooters to Asbury Park residents,” said William Knapp, VP of Operations at Superpedestrian. “As we continue to live through the COVID-19 pandemic, safe, sustainable, and accessible modes of transport are increasingly important. We look forward to serving Asbury Park residents and visitors to the shore with our unique LINK
scooters, engineered for rider safety and convenient, individualized transport.”
What makes LINK scooters safe and city-friendly:
● LINK’s on-board A.I. Mechanic ensures vehicles are safe before each and every ride
● Geofencing protects pedestrians by keeping scooters out of pedestrian plazas and
other restricted zones
Each LINK scooter has five computers that work together to monitor every component thousands of times per second, instantly self-repair electronic systems, and flag mechanical
components for maintenance if needed. Superpedestrian has launched thousands of LINK scooters across twenty cities, from Seattle to Rome, and has a spotless record of compliance
and safety.
Superpedestrian is seeking input from Asbury Park residents who have suggestions for deployment locations. Community members will be able to submit their ideas and feedback on the company’s Asbury Park website, which will launch in May.
Superpedestrian’s approach is distinguished by a commitment to collaborate with cities. The LINK scooters are equipped with unique geofence technology that enhances compliance with
regulations such as speed limits and no-ride zones.
Superpedestrian also hires locally and employs skilled mechanics, ensuring quality repairs and servicing.
Superpedestrian’s commitment to safety also includes strict personnel procedures and frequent
vehicle sanitation protocols to prevent the spread of COVID. The company will continue to work closely with the city and operational teams to reliably sanitize scooters.
To ride a LINK scooter, simply download the LINK mobile app from your iOS or Android app store. Then locate a scooter via the LINK app. Once you find a scooter, be sure the throttle LED
is GREEN, this means the scooter is available to rent. Then scan the scooter’s QR code (located on top of the handlebars) via the LINK app to unlock. Wait up to 10 seconds for the
throttle LED to turn WHITE, indicating the scooter is unlocked and ready to ride.
About LINK: LINK is the world’s safest and smartest e-scooter. Engineered and built by Superpedestrian, a mobility engineering and technology company that develops and launches
urban transport solutions, LINK scooters are the first to offer self-diagnostic and self-protection technologies that keep riders and pedestrians safe.
Scooter photos and more information available in LINK’s Press Kit: https://www.link.city/press

Want To Learn About E-Scooters?

E-Scooters And E-Bikes – The Future Of Mobility Or Safety Risks On Wheels?

Asbury Park Complete Streets Coalition stands behind efforts to reduce car dependency to promote human health, the health of our city, and the health of our planet. Most residents see the benefits of promoting micro mobility such as electric scooters, and of course they support bicycle riding to enable people to get around without cars for daily trips, and for visitors to enjoy and support businesses in our city. Sadly some others have reacted negatively on social media to the introduction of scooters in Asbury Park.  They are apparently in the thrall of auto industry influence to keep our streets flooded with cars (whether they’re gas powered, electric, or autonomous). They seem to be unable to get past the (low) incidence of crashes, they focus on “scary” encounters with scooter (and bike) riders, they neglect to acknowledge 40K deaths by car each year, and have abject fear of anything new on our streets. For historical context, here’s a fun history of cars in the early 1900’s. *

*Note that the term “accident is used throughout the article. This  journalist/historian seems to be unaware that use of “accident” was promoted by the auto industry to take the onus off drivers. “Accident” implies unavoidable. They are all crashes. #crashnotaccident.*

Read this excellent article in Forbes, and the study on e-scooters globally. This is only one of many dozens of articles in the past several years, and more during Covid, available to those who would like to learn about the future of mobility across the world. The current US administration supports building infrastructure in cities for people to get around without cars. We can build our city, Asbury Park to be resilient, healthy, and possibly car-free within the decade, but only if we have the will to do so.

For more for excellent, in-depth information, see this article from Forbes.

Excerpts:

A new report published by the International Transport Forum (ITF), a Paris-based intergovernmental organization with 60 member countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), examined how the rapid proliferation of micro-vehicles could be safely integrated into existing urban traffic patterns to help ensure that micro-vehicle riders and pedestrians would not become crash victims.

The “Safe Micromobility” report found that motor vehicles are involved in 80% of fatal crashes with e-scooters and bicycles.

The report offers ten recommendations to help policy makers, city planners, administrators, operators and manufacturers ensure the protection and well-being of all.  Read on…

 

Excerpts:

new report published by the International Transport Forum (ITF), a Paris-based intergovernmental organization with 60 member countries within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), examined how the rapid proliferation of micro-vehicles could be safely integrated into existing urban traffic patterns to help ensure that micro-vehicle riders and pedestrians would not become crash victims.

“Innovation in micromobility may bring new crash risks,” Alexandre Santacreu, a road safety policy analyst for the ITF and principal author of the report, said in a video statement. “But if we understand those risks, we can counter them.”

Here are some additional findings from the study:

  • E-scooter riders do not face significantly higher risk of road traffic death or injury than cyclists.
  • Traffic will be safer if e-scooter and bicycle trips replace travel by car or motorcycle.
  • The fast-paced evolution of micro-vehicles challenges governments to put in safety regulations in place that take into account the future of all mobility.

“Street design must also serve the safety of those using micro-vehicles,” Santacreu added. Making it safe creates an opportunity for “shaping a sustainable urban mobility landscape.”

Read for more in-depth information in this article from Forbes.