Asbury Park left standing with scooters, seeks new company to take over dead service

ASBURY PARK - The city is in the process of finding a new e-scooter partner since owner Superpedestrian ceased all operations in Asbury Park and within the United States due to financial reasons.

Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn told the Asbury Park Press that all the Link scooters owned by Superpedestrian have been removed from the city.

"We are just starting the process of finding another scooter company to partner with and looking forward to having something in place soon. The scooters were a great mode of transportation for everyone throughout the entire city and we are sorry to see it go," Quinn said.

The e-scooters served residents and tourists as an efficient way to get around the city since they were launched in May 2021. Riders could unlock a scooter for $1 and then were charged 35 cents per minute during an active rental. The average ride would be less than a mile and lasted less than 10 minutes.

After raising $125 million less than two years ago, Superpedestrian, known for its self-diagnostic software, shut down its U.S.-based shared scooter operation on Dec. 31.

Not the only one: Electric scooter company Bird files for bankruptcy. It was once valued at $2.5 billion.

The e-scooter startup provided over 35 parking locations throughout Asbury Park, where scooters were available for pedestrians to rent.

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Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Superpedestrian shuts Asbury Park scooter service; city on the hunt