Don’t Revel in It: Citi Bikes Prove to be Much Safer than Revel Mopeds

 Although Revel mopeds, which were launched in Brooklyn in 2018, maybe a fun and fresh way to zip around Brooklyn, since July, the Vespa-style scooters have been the sources of four deadly crashes, including one on Sept. 29 that killed an 82-year-old woman near Columbus Circle in Manhattan.

     Revel had temporarily suspended its service in July, after two people were killed riding the scooters. One of the fatal Revel crash victims was a 32-year-old man who crashed into a light pole in Queens. Just more than a week later, 26-year-old CBS2NY reporter Nina Kapur tragically passed away after she was riding a Revel as a passenger in Greenpoint. Kapur and the scooter’s driver, who survived, were thrown off the scooter after the driver had lost control of the moped after slamming on the brakes.

   However, the mopeds returned to streets a month later, but without its overnight service from midnight to 5 a.m., which were the hours that  Department of Transportation (DOT) officials have said were the most dangerous for riders.

   Revel also now requires mandatory safety training on the company’s smartphone app and a requirement for riders to take selfies showing themselves wearing helmets.

   DOT Council members are considering legislation that would require the city Department of Transportation to establish and enforce safety protocols for moped sharing services like Revel.

      “Revel service can offer several benefits to the city,” said Polly Trottenberg, the DOT commission, who pointed out that Citi Bikes, which were launched in 2013, have been involved in only two fatal crashes. “But there’s no escaping the fact that moped share is in a different risk category than bike share."