Shelter My Scooter in SO

It's solar, it's safe, and it's here in South Orange, just behind the firehouse. The Township of South Orange Village has installed new sheltered parking for motorized scooters, directly across from South Orange's main train station, adjacent to First Street, in Firehouse Parking Lot 3.  Three 6' x 15' aluminum shelters can park approximately 15 scooters.  In addition, the shelters' 40-watt LED lighting will be powered by solar panels atop the three structures.

As one of 20 "Transit Villages" designated by the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and New Jersey Transit, and among the first Transit Villages in New Jersey, South Orange sought and received a $28,464 NJDOT Transit Village grant, funding the entire cost of its innovative new scooter shelters.

"In response to the dramatic growth in commuters using bicycles and fuel-efficient scooters," according to South Orange Village President Douglas Newman, "the Village saw an opportunity to safely expand parking capacity by installing scooter shelters, using a Transit Village grant, and accommodate additional bicycles at the station – further promoting environmentally sustainable commuting and helping relieve traffic congestion."

Scooter parking permits initially will be offered by the South Orange Parking Authority, on a first-come, first-served basis, to residents who currently park their scooters under N.J. Transit's pedestrian underpass trestle at its station.