Bostonians invited to weigh in on scooter, moped mayhem at community meeting

Boston residents are invited to share their thoughts about ongoing complaints of scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles causing mayhem on city streets at an upcoming community meeting.

City Councilors Julia Mejia, Ed Flynn, and Enrique Pepén are hosting a virtual emergency town hall on Thursday, July 18, 2024, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The meeting will address what city leaders call “escalating quality of life and safety concerns”.

Boston 25 News first reported on the city-wide crackdown on illegal scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles last month.

Scooter driver wipes out on camera with Boston’s crackdown underway

The city put three major food delivery companies on notice and asked each of them to ensure that their drivers are following the law.

Since then, Boston Police and Massachusetts State Police have seized dozens of scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles across the city.

The latest seizure happened in Downtown Crossing on Monday night when Boston Police seized nine mopeds in the pedestrian-only zone of Washington and Franklin Streets.

“We want to hear from residents about the impact this is having,” said District 2 Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn. “They have a good idea of where these scooters are held. They know what time they’re going out and what time they’re coming in.”

Boston 25 News caught dozens of scooters, mopeds, and motorcycles riding in pedestrian-only zones in Downtown Crossing in a matter of minutes on Tuesday night.

“They’re riding on the sidewalks. They’re riding on the opposite side of the street. I almost got hit,” said Tarnya Jenkins. “If I get hit, there’s no plate or anything on the scooter. How do I identify who ran me over?”

People who work in the bustling hub of activity told Boston 25 News that they’d like to see more scooters, mopeds and motorcycles impounded for not following the rules.

“I know there’s a lot of people, such as myself, who are responsible drivers,” said motorcycle driver D’andre Matthews. “We’re just trying to make it to our work or wherever we’re trying to go. It puts a bad name on us.”

Officers issued verbal warnings, traffic citations and one summons for various motor vehicle law infractions in Downtown Crossing on Monday.

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