You Can Soon Travel Around Brooklyn and Queens by Electric Moped
Wanna weave through rush-hour traffic, but worried that those flimsy little electric scooters look like death traps? Not a bicycle person? Trying to get home as quickly as possible without committing to a four-wheeled rideshare vehicle?
New Yorkers will soon be able to explore an additional mode of app-based rental transportation: electric mopeds.
Brooklyn-based transportation startup Revel announced Wednesday that the company is installing 1,000 mopeds throughout a number of neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens. The shared service vehicles replace 68 beta launch mopeds that were sprinkled across Williamsburg, Greenpoint and Bushwick last summer as part of a nine-month pilot.
What's the fine print? Revel mopeds are street-legal and have a max speed of 30 mph, but are not permitted on expressways or other high-speed roads and bridges. (You won't want to try them on the Williamsburg Bridge, nor are you allowed to ride them into Manhattan.) They are safety certified by the US Department of Transportation; registered with the New York Department of Vehicles; and come with third party liability insurance and two helmets per moped ("Choose the one that fits snugly but comfortably," the service suggests).
Would-be riders who are over 21 years of age can register for the service through the Revel app, which requires a valid standard Class D driver license and a $19 motor vehicle license check. International driver licenses are welcome as well, as long as they come with a clean driving record to match.
Similarly to shared bikes and scooters, verified users will be able to use the app to unlock nearby mopeds and hit the road. For just $1 more, you can even set up foot rests for a second passenger, as long as they're over the age of 18. Mopeds cost $1 per passenger to unlock, $0.25 a minute to ride, and $0.10 a minute to pause your ride. If you feel shaky about your wheel skills, Revel offers free lessons.
All images courtesy of Revel
TPG featured card
at Capital One's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 5X miles | Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel |
| 2X miles | Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day |
Pros
- Stellar welcome offer of 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
- You'll earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, which means you won't have to worry about memorizing bonus categories
- Rewards are versatile and can be redeemed for a statement credit or transferred to Capital One’s transfer partners
Cons
- Highest bonus-earning categories only on travel booked via Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app