Electric Mopeds are now available in Brooklyn

(BROOKLYN, NY) — There’s a new form of transportation hitting the streets of Brooklyn. As of yesterday, 68 electric mopeds have been placed in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick.

To all the news stations, radio stations and NYC Council Member @cmreynoso34 – thank you for attending our media day! We appreciated the questions and look forward to continued conversations with the NYC community during our pilot.
A post shared by Revel (@reveltransit) on Jul 31, 2018 at 8:36am PDT

Revel, a moped-sharing startup, is the first of its kind in New York City. The startup allows riders to rent a moped through the Revel app. Users are required to have a valid driver’s license and must pass a background check.

A map showing Revel’s home operating area in blue. All revel rides start within the blue area, and riders must return the vehicle within the blue area when the ride ends. Users, however, can go anywhere in Brooklyn or Queens and in between. (Revel)

While mopeds are a step up from Citi Bike, there are some strict regulations that must be followed. Mopeds must stay within Brooklyn and Queens and are not allowed to be taken on bridges. Riders are not allowed to ride in bike lanes or on the sidewalk and must abide by the alternate side parking rules.

Welcome to the new way around. Launching July 2018. #revelandgo #brooklyn #williamsburg #greenpoint #bushwick
A post shared by Revel (@reveltransit) on Jun 15, 2018 at 8:00pm PDT

Each moped comes with a helmet, a how-to class for beginners, and a video explaining how the scooter works. The scooter can reach 30mph and will be monitored carefully by the NYC’s Department of Transportation.

Revel can potentially reduce congestion during the L train shutdown. However, for that to happen mopeds will have to be allowed to travel outside of Brooklyn and Queens.